You would think that with all that rain lately, things have improved as far as stored water goes, but in the Embalse de Viñuela at least, it has not.

For the first time in its 34 years of existence, the La Viñuela Reservoir begins summer with less than 10% of its capacity filled. That’s 15.2 Hectometres.

This 9.2% of water stored is exactly the same as it had in November last year; that’s to say any water gained has already been used up over winter and spring.

This is very worrying news for the Axarquía, especially fruit farmers.

The Junta de Andalucía has awarded an emergency-work contract involving two surface pumps at a spring to take water directly to the water-treatment plant in El Trapiche so that it will have the maximum flow possible.

Another problem is that the little water left in La Viñuela is of low quality because of the concentration of organic material in it, so the Junta intends to literally capture all the fish in it, as well as other aquatic lifeforms.

The necessary work (pump connections & livestock removal) is no over-night operation and could take up to eight months, costing 780,000 euros.

(News: Viñuela, Axarquia, Malaga, Andalucia – Photo: E.C.)