The Aiguamolls de l’Empordà are experiencing the worst drought since the natural park was created in 1984. Rainfall records have never been so low before and the latest bird census reflects an 80% decline in number of wintering birds. If the average of the last decade was close to 10,000, in the last record, in January, the figure was slightly above 2,000. The most affected by this situation are the ducks. The fields where they were going to feed, like the nearby rice paddies, are dry and this has caused them to move to other areas in search of food. Despite the fact that there are far fewer birds in the Aiguamolls than in normal water conditions, their absence is “temporary” and “the situation will reverse as soon as it rains”, according to the director of the park, Sergi Romero. However, the situation is already irreversible for many specimens of aquatic fauna such as fish and amphibians.
Rainfall that would help bring the birds back to the park is a prayer. The generous records that fell yesterday are insufficient, although they help break a trend of many days without a single drop. “The situation is quite critical. It would take three seasons to fix this situation”, explained the director yesterday. In 2023, only 271 liters per m2 were collected at the park’s meteorological station, the lowest figure in its history. A figure that is far from the 580 liters that have been recorded on average over the last forty years.
The consequences of this water deficit are very obvious at first glance. About 300 hectares of one of the park’s two integral nature reserves, the Estanys, which mainly depends on contributions from the Muga basin, are completely dry. “No one here remembers images of this magnitude,” states the director of the park. Where there should be water, there is only dirt and dead vegetation. Some corners, such as the Vilaüt pond, have had an unheard of appearance for more than two years and in some ditches there is no longer a trace of fish. “Last summer all the flounder and carp died, the frogs have disappeared”, explains Romero. Naiads have also died, a species of freshwater bivalve mollusk, which in this case has turned out to be an invasive species. Reptiles such as the European galápag, also present in the park, are more resilient.
In the other integral nature reserve, that of Les Llaunes, the situation is better, as it currently receives contributions of water from the Fluvià. Romero fears the consequences that the drought may have on the breeding season of many birds, in the spring. Species such as the common hen, the royal duck or the white grouse, among others, are usually raised in this area. “The fact that they can’t do it in their usual place is a stress in their life cycle; they have to look for new places, the reproduction rate can be reduced and the individuals can have a lower birth weight as a result of the stress”, explains Marc Vilahur, general director of Environmental Policies of the Generalitat.
When asked about the effect of the drought on the Aiguamolls, Vilahur predicts that if it lasts a long time it will affect the entire ecosystem. “If long-term droughts persist, we have to accept that biodiversity will be drastically reduced”, says Vilahur, who recognizes that the Administration can do little to alleviate the drought in natural areas. “We cannot artificialize the processes, it is unacceptable to bring water to all the ponds that have gone dry, the management of natural spaces cannot be done from a garden view”, he says.
