This week, Calpe's Department of the Environment has begun cleaning up the Quisi and Pou Roig ravines, specifically in the area around the Casanova bridge towards the sports area. The aim is to have the ravines clean before the autumn rains and prevent possible flooding.
Excavators are currently working on the ground as part of this preventive emergency action. The aim is to remove the Arundo Donax reeds that are proliferating in the bed of this ravine and thus prevent possible obstructions that could lead to the river overflowing.
The Councillor for the Environment, Pere Moll, stressed that: "we are carrying out the clean-up of urban ravines, clearing the riverbeds so that we can have peace of mind this autumn, with clean riverbeds and water that can flow easily. It should also be noted that, in the part of the river known as the Casanova bridge towards Benissa, through the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, solarisation tarpaulins are already being installed to prevent the growth of reeds. The strategy is to reach the end of Benissa. In addition, we have applied for funding from the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and in September we will know whether or not we have been awarded the funding requested for the naturalisation of the ravine, although the strategy is already defined and we are working in phases".
Last June, the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation carried out renaturalisation work on the Barranc del Quisi, specifically the section between the bridge and the treatment plant. This part of the ravine is considered non-urban and is therefore the responsibility of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation. The work consisted of removing the invasive reeds, then covering their roots with an opaque tarpaulin and soon planting native species.
This step responds to constant requests from the Town Council, which is currently tendering for the renaturalisation project for the urban section of the Quisi and Pou Roig ravines. This will involve the removal of invasive species and their replacement with native vegetation in order to increase the biodiversity of the environment and improve and guarantee the safety of the ravine. The technical project has a base budget of €30,000 and the planned work has a budget of €170,000.