The hydrological year, a complete period which serves as a basis for analyzing the evolution of precipitation and water reserves, ended yesterday, September 30, with an uneven record in Andalusia. Globally, this is the best since 2021 with global reserves around 28% of the total compared to 19.9% last year. But there is one area which continues to concentrate all the concerns of administrations: the Mediterranean basin, which mainly supplies Malaga and Almería, and which closes another period of losses. Reservations in this area are worse than on October 1, 2023. From today, the municipalities of Malaga recover the restrictions suspended during the summer.
The Andalusian hydrological system is complex and divided into four territorial demarcations, each with its own reservoir system. The Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation is the largest in terms of population and territory.of state competence since it covers areas of other autonomous communities. There are more than 8,000 cubic hectometers of reserves which mainly supply Jaén, Córdoba, Seville, Granada, Córdoba, but also the regions of Huelva and Cádiz.
This basin is the one that performed the best during this hydrological year, with a closure of more than 30% of its reserves and a total of 2,434 hectometers of water in the reservoirs. This is the highest figure for a water year end since 2020 in the Confederation. And this has also been realized in youn year in which the volume of water released for irrigation from previous years was recovered with more than 1,000 cubic hectometers of water which we were able to take advantage of. This unloading process is practically complete and only 30 cubic hectometers corresponding to October remain. Last fall, this reservoir system started at 18% with 1,469 cubic hectometers.
The second largest basin in terms of volume of dam water is that of Guadalete-Barbate, which mainly supplies the province of Cádiz and is the exclusive responsibility of the Junta de Andalucía. In total, its capacity is 1,152 cubic hectometers, or currently 23.3%.with approximately 268 cubic hectometers. Although it is very low, this percentage is higher than at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, although it remains lower than the two previous years when it exceeded 30%.
The current drought problem in Andalusia is currently focused on the Mediterranean basin.which supplies the east, the municipalities of Málaga and Almerá. The reserves ended this hydrological year at 23.3% with 268 hectometers, which represents the worst historical closure of a complete rain cycle. Spring rains eased but did not change the trend toward loss of reserves as was the case in other provinces.
While waiting for the meeting of the drought committee of this district, coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, to which this district falls, Since October 1, restrictions on the Costa del Sol which were suspended during the summer to promote the return of tourist activity. Thus, it is prohibited to wash streets, fill private swimming pools, water gardens, public and private parks, golf courses, wash cars outside authorized establishments, ornamental fountains not having a closed water circuit, showers and public fountains.
This week the situation after this rainy cycle will be analyzed in a more complete way, although as a starting point, for now, it is the decision that there are no restrictions on water for human consumption as has generally been maintained until now. However, the evolution of the rains will be monitored throughout this fall.
The third basin under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Junta de Andalucía is that of Tinto-Odiel-Piedras-Chanzas which is currently at 37% with 426 cubic hectometers on a total capacity of 1,130 cubic hectometers. In this case, it’s better than last year but worse than the previous two years.
