* The authors are part of the community of La Vanguardia readers
The Sau reservoir is dying, it is more sad every day, as these photographs show in The Photos of the Readers of La Vanguardia, already on the verge of ending this year in 2023.
The Sau reservoir is at minimum levels. When making this photographic report you end up affected, because you realize that they are walking through places where you have never been able to go before, because they should be flooded with water.
Even so, among the little water in the reservoir there is still enough to portray the reflections of the cliffs on the swamp, one of the most emblematic images.
Embalse de Sau, located in the municipality of Vilanova de Sau, is at the foot of the Guilleries massif. It is part of a system of three reservoirs, along with those of Susqueda and Pasteral, which unites the counties of Osona and La Selva.
The reservoir, inaugurated in 1962, covered the town of Sant Romà de Sau, the remains of which, especially the temple’s bell tower, are visible when the water level is low. The Romanesque church was built in the 11th century.
The drought has been one of the major current issues in Catalonia in 2023. It is not a coincidence, therefore, that the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, delivers this Tuesday the traditional Christmas message for Sant Esteve’s Day from the Dipòsit del Rei Martí in Barcelona, ??an old water tank.
Catalan reservoirs are at 17% of their capacity. As for Sau, it is at 9.11%, when a year ago it was at 19% and the average for the last five years is 94%.
