In the Cap de Creus natural park it rained less than half of what it should have last year. In the Cadaqués station, less than 200 liters per square meter (l/m2) fell during 2023, records compared to those in semi-desert climates such as those found in some areas of Morocco or in Cabo de Gata.
The two previous years were also less rainy than usual, with records very far from the annual average, which exceeds 600 l/m. A water stress that has already taken its toll on the vegetation and fauna present in the park, such as the amphibian population. “Such a prolonged episode of drought had not been experienced before in the park’s 25-year history,” notes its director, Ponç Feliu. The Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya points out that the Alt Empordà coastline, specifically Cape Creus and the Gulf of Roses, is one of the areas hardest hit by the drought in Catalonia in the last three years, along with the Montseny massif and the metropolitan area of ??Barcelona.
The last rains in the month of March, with records higher than normal in the area, have mitigated the rainfall deficit and will give a respite to the flora and fauna, badly hit after three years of drought. The start of spring has been rainy. According to data provided by the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya, in just thirty days, from February 26 to March 27, the stations of Cadaqués, Roses and Palau-saverdera have collected 414.6 l/m2. That is more than half of all the rain that fell in the entire year 2023. Records that were expected as May water and that will allow spring to be saved, reduce the mortality of species, recharge aquifers and fill ponds, an essential habitat for the amphibians.
A couple of months ago, given the scarcity of water resources, members of the Special Forest Fire Prevention Group exceptionally artificially filled one of the ponds in the area with regenerated water from the Port de la Selva treatment plant. The objective was none other than to facilitate the reproduction of amphibians such as the green newt, the salamander or the common toad. The vegetation in Cap de Creus is highly conditioned by the strong wind, which dries the environment and brings salinity to the plants, and the little rain. The dominant one is the shrubby and herbaceous, which occupies a large part of the 14,000 hectares of the park. And it is precisely that vegetation that has suffered the most during the three consecutive years of drought. “Although they are Mediterranean species, adapted to little rain, the prolonged drought has been killing them,” explains the director of the natural park, Ponç Feliu. Red juniper or black gorse are some of the shrubs that have suffered the most from the impact of the prolonged drought. “Grasses are food sources for insects, butterflies and birds, but without water they cannot grow, and this is a problem,” he explains. The three consecutive years with less rain than usual have taken a toll on the tree vegetation, which is a minority in Cap de Creus. In the section between Sant Pere de Rodes and Vilajuïga, dead cork oaks or white pines are visible.
Those who benefit the most from this persistent drought are invasive plants such as cat’s claw or prickly pears. “These types of species adapted to very dry climates are more competitive and harm native species,” says the park director. This natural area has some unique species in the world such as the endangered Seseli farrenyi or the rock conch.
The European Drought Observatory, in its last update carried out between March 10 and 20, placed areas of Cap de Creus on “alert” due to “stressed” vegetation as a result of the lack of moisture in the soil and the low rainfall. It was the same level as much of North Africa and some parts of Malta, Italy and the Balearic Islands, among other places. According to this observatory, only 0.8% of the territory of the 27 countries of the European Union is at this alert level.
