A partir das 5 Wednesday morning hours, day 1 March, Alqueva will release 300 m3/s from Pedrógão dam, thus simulating a flood flow, essential for “cleaning” the bed of the Guadiana river to the mouth, ensuring compliance with the natural regime of that watercourse.
Within the scope of the ecological flow regime defined for the Alqueva and Pedrógão reservoirs, contained in the concession contract signed between the Portuguese State and EDIA, the simulation of a flood flow is planned, downstream of the Pedrógão dam, if natural inflows, in a non-dry year, do not reach values equal to or greater than 300m3/s since the beginning of November in the Pulo do Lobo section.
The flow rate to be discharged must gradually increase for approximately 3 hours and a gradual decrease of identical duration in the final phase. This condition is called Flood Flows.
The volume released with this operation, next to 46 hm3, represents less than 5% of the volume placed in Alqueva during the month of December, not putting into question the supply guarantee that Alqueva offers.
This year the flows recorded in Pulo do Lobo were much lower than 300 m3/s, compliance with the aforementioned condition is not naturally verified, therefore EDIA will ensure compliance with the same.
