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Surrounded only by earth, stones and grass, this boat that we see in La Vanguardia's Readers' Photos has been left hanging on the slope of the Baells reservoir due to the low water level due to the persistent drought in Catalonia.
The image is representative of a dry autumn, with the swamps of the internal basins of Catalonia at 18% of their capacity and with the Baells reservoir at 24%, when normally it would be at least 76%.
In Baells there are other signs of the drought, such as the fact that its cultural heritage has been left visible, not only the monastery of Sant Salvador de la Vedella. Founded in the year 830 by the monks of San Saturnino de Tavèrnoles, it is the only construction left standing from the old town flooded during the construction of the reservoir.
With the extreme drought you can see the ruins of old houses from some of the three towns that were submerged: Miralles, Baells and Sant Salvador de la Vedella.
The drought also makes the marks of the lack of water clearly visible on the banks of the reservoir and on the bridge that crosses it. The objective of this reservoir is to regulate the upper basin of the Llobregat River, supply water to the metropolitan area of Barcelona and produce hydroelectric energy.
