The Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation (CHG), an body dependent on the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, has approved a resolution establishing the confinement of navigation in the Torre del Águila reservoir, located in the municipality of Utrera (Seville). This measure is implemented after confirming the presence of the zebra mussel, a harmful exotic invasive species for aquatic ecosystems and hydraulic infrastructures.
From the entry into force of this resolution, any vessel wishing to navigate in Torre del Águila will require an exclusive authorization issued by the CHG. This authorization will only permit navigation in this specific reservoir, prohibiting its compatibility with authorizations for other reservoirs in the basin. Navigation in the reservoir without this express authorization will be sanctioned according to current regulations on the Public Hydraulic Domain.
Holders who were already exercising their right with a responsible declaration and included Torre del Águila along with other reservoirs must choose between navigating exclusively in this reservoir or renouncing it to retain authorization for the rest of the basin. Vessels currently located at the reservoir's jetties are automatically confined to navigating within Torre del Águila.
The resolution also reinforces prevention measures, requiring the application of the Cleaning Protocol before transferring any vessel to a non-confined reservoir. Furthermore, the temporary use of auxiliary bathing elements and equipment likely to disperse the species is suspended.
The full content of the resolution, along with the updated table of reservoirs in the Guadalquivir Basin and their navigability status, is available in the Legal Relevance Information section of the CHG website.
Through these actions, the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir aims to protect the water bodies within its demarcation and prevent the spread of the zebra mussel, a species that has already caused significant impacts in various Spanish river basins.
