Storm in Spanish Extremadura decisive in filling. Since Tuesday they entered Alqueva 288,28 hm3 (288.280.000 m3) of water and rose 1,61 meters. is less than 5 meters of your stuffing.
The heavy rains that fell on Tuesday in Spanish Extremadura caused the Alqueva Dam to rise 1,61 meters and received 288,28 hm3 (288.280.000 m3) of water since the dawn of last Tuesday.
in twelve days, from 1 December and until the night of the storm, the dam had only risen 1 meters in accumulated water level. yesterday at 05,00 hours Alqueva was at quota 147,09, less than 5 meters of your stuffing, with a volume of 3.040,45 hm3, corresponding to 73.26% of its full capacity.
Despite the heavy rain that fell that same day in many municipalities in Alto Alentejo, namely Campo Maior, is from Spain, region where it has been raining a lot, is through the “Açude de Badajozâ€, controlled by the Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation, based in that Spanish city, that the largest amount of water has entered which led to the increase in levels of Alqueva.
The entry of water in Portugal and the Guadiana river, was so decisive for the ascent in Alqueva, that the 18,20 hours Tuesday, spent more than 2,2 million m3 per second (m3/s) by the “Açude de Badajozâ€, according to information from the Alqueva Development and Infrastructure Company (EDIA).
The rain that left Campo Maior “drownedâ€, ends up flowing into the Caia dam and other ones closer and only with that dam full can the water enter the Guadiana and reach Alqueva. The many tributaries of the Guadiana River, located south of Elvas, are not decisive in the filling of the Alentejo reservoir, as are the cases of the Vigia dams (Redondo) and from Lucefécit (Terena/Alandroal), the Ribeira de Alcarrache (Mourao and Moura) e o rio Degebe (passes through several parishes in the municipalities of Arraiolos, Évora, Portel and Reguengos de Monsaraz). The water of the Ardila river (Moura) enters the Pedrogão dam (Vidigueira) and can be reverted to Alqueva.
Alqueva first filled in 12 January 2010, situation that was repeated in March of that same year, with excess water being released into the bed of the Guadiana river through the secondary gates. Early 2013 the dam filled for the third time and this time the surface gates were opened and the largest water discharges ever made, that raised the limits of the Guadiana and many people lost their animals, that had illegally on the riverbed.
The last time it filled up was at the beginning of 2014, but at the time EDIA did not download to “Grande Rio do Sulâ€, doing the control through the hydroelectric plant, producing energy.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
