The Aragón and Catalunya canal begins the irrigation campaign this Monday with prorations and free demand.
The president of the irrigators, José Luís Pérez, has explained that although the situation of the Barasona and Sant Salvador reservoirs is "generous" completely full, in the case of the Noguera Ribagorçana basin it is "below minimum", as last year past. Therefore, now at the beginning, all irrigators will be supplied from the first two reservoirs.
Few farmers have asked for water for irrigation since it has been raining for the last few days. According to Pérez, the demands that will be made now will be to fill ponds and also to have water in case it is necessary to use anti-freeze systems in case of a fall in thermometers in fruit-growing areas where the trees have already bloomed.
According to the president of the irrigation community, José Luís Pérez, the latest rains and snowfalls in the Pyrenees have given "hope" for having a reserve of snow when the thaw begins, since until now, there is practically no road. However, he has stressed that starting the free demand campaign now is a "mirror" that unfortunately will not last long since there are not enough reserves in the entire irrigable area.
Its objective is to be able to offer irrigators a complete campaign, until September 30, and to achieve this it will be necessary to apply prorations. "If there is abundant water there will be it for everyone and if it is scarce it will be for everyone," said the president of the irrigators.
The irrigable area of the Aragón and Catalunya canal is located between the province of Huesca and the demarcation of Lleida. It includes 132 irrigation communities with a concession of 104,850 hectares. They can irrigate 11,088 agricultural and livestock farms. 115 industrial uses, 132 service establishments, and 212,000 inhabitants also benefit from the water.
This is the canal that begins the irrigation campaign the earliest in Catalonia. In the coming weeks, the campaign is scheduled to begin in the Urgell canal, also marked by drought and restrictions.
