PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Lake Banyoles is the second largest lake in the Iberian Peninsula. Its privileged location has given rise to a unique Mediterranean wetland. Surrounding the lake is a diverse environment of temporary and permanent lagoons and springs that are host to a range of valuable EU-listed habitats, some of which have priority status.
The lake is also a traditional recreation area for boating, particularly rowing – it was the site of the rowing events of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics – as well as for picnics, fishing and hunting. Naturally, this sort of water-based tourism provides income opportunities for the local population. Unfortunately, however, it can also have some negative repercussions. The eastern shore of the lake has undergone considerable urban development with subsequent negative effects on the environment. In contrast, the western shore has retained its lakeside woods and floodplains, even though much of the land has been given over to agricultural use.
OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the project was the recuperation of and an increase in the area of the wetlands and lakeside woods which surround the lacustrine basin: the alluvial forests (Alnus glutinosa and Salix alba), the Fraxinus angustifolia woods, and the Salix alba and Populus alba galleries. To this end, the project aimed to develop new lagoons, redevelop artificially created streams and recuperate floodplains. Priority was to be given to the intermittent Mediterranean lagoons, which before the project, had all but disappeared from the zone.
RESULTS
The project facilitated the purchase by local town councils and the private foundation, Territori i Paisatge, of a total of 37 ha of land, some 27 ha more than had originally been envisaged. Additional land is also to be acquired in the future, through land cessions agreed with several private owners.
After preliminary topographic and hydrogeological studies, the construction of four lagoons took place from December 2005 to December 2006 in the areas of Can Morgat and Amaradors-Lió. In total, four semi-permanent lagoons have been created in these areas, all of which have been recovering well. The new lagoons are already showing evidence of colonisation by different bird types (some of them already breeding), amphibians, dragonflies, fish and, surprisingly, even otter. Most of these species were not found in the project area before. Thanks to this project, the whole north-western area of the lake is now devoted exclusively to nature conservation.
Other restoration activities included the naturalisation of brooks, the restoration of ditches, clearance of the area, pruning and plantations.
Eradication of exotic species (in particular Prunus sp., Arundo donax) and planting autochthonous vegetation, carried out in different areas of the lake basin, helped to enlarge and protect habitats under the Directive: mainly ‘3170, Temporary Mediterranean ponds’, ‘7210, Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus’ and ‘91E0, Residual alluvial forests of Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior’. Glyfosates were applied in a controlled fashion to an area from which alien species had already been removed. The cutting of alien species was undertaken by specialised personnel to avoid sprouting. Three brigades, comprising a monitor and two workers, now uproot these unwanted species every year from September to December. These workers come from an occupational centre for people with disabilities. All such activities are supervised by an expert botanist. This work has been successful in eliminating the problematic alien species, but the brigades will continue their pruning and clearance work in the future nonetheless.
The most important outcomes for the future conservation of this site are: a) the approval of a revised ‘Regulation of lake activities,’ a legal protection instrument for the town councils, which prescribes what activities are sustainable and compatible with nature conservation and the public-use regulation of the Banyoles lake; b) the approval of a Special Conservation Plan for the whole lake basin - a regional legal protection instrument that covers the complete site of community importance (SCI); c) the creation of a consortium to oversee the management of the natural and cultural assets of the lake, including all the relevant administrations with powers relating to the lake; and d) the creation of a new natural park that will include the SCI.
The project also engaged in a range of public-use-oriented actions, including the conditioning of paths, signposting, refurbishment of recreational areas, and the construction of gangways and viewpoints. Access to the shore of the lake and to the new lagoons have been limited to certain areas.
An awareness campaign was also undertaken. This involved the use of attractive materials (webpage, DVD, etc) and recieved widespread coverage in the specialised media. The project also organized an international symposium to disseminate the project results and to exchange experience between nature conservation managers working on temporary ponds in Spain and abroad.
