Water in the semi-desert of the Bardenas Reales

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Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
24 June 2023 Saturday 10:55
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Water in the semi-desert of the Bardenas Reales

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia

Las Bardenas Reales de Navarra is a semi-desert natural area that extends to the southeast of Navarra. It is not usual to see water as after this last period of rains, when I was able to capture this series of images for Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia.

As can be seen in the photographs, the water has unexpectedly taken over the semi-desert landscape, with frogs, birds... in short, creating spectacular wetlands.

The Bardenas Reales of Navarra constitute a semi-desert area of ​​41,845 hectares, although the landscape also extends through the territory of the Aragonese towns of Sádaba, Tauste and Ejea de los Caballeros.

Las Bardenas lack urban centers, its vegetation is very scarce and the multiple water currents that cross the territory have a markedly irregular flow, remaining dry most of the year.

The Bardenas Reales are not part of any municipal area. Historically, the possession of the lands belonged to the crown and its exploitation, use and benefit, was granted to a group of Navarrese legal entities called "congozantes", whose number since the end of the 17th century was fixed at 22, among which there are 19 municipalities, two valleys and a monastery.

All of them form the Community of Bardenas Reales, a public law entity in charge of the ownership and use of the area.