Despite The Recent Rain Malaga’s Reservoirs Hold Just 22 Per Cent Of Their Capacity

THE total capacity of Malaga’s seven reservoirs has decreased by almost 65 cubic hectometres at the end of the summer period.

According to AEMET, the State Meteorological Agency, the hydrological year of 2022-2023 has been the third driest since that of 1961-1962.

El verano 2023 ha tenido un carácter extremadamente cálido en Andalucía. La temperatura media ha sido 26.5ºC, 1.6 grados por encima del promedio, siendo el más cálido desde 1961, superando en dos décimas al verano más cálido hasta ahora que era el verano 2022. pic.twitter.com/rikZIty1n6

— AEMET_Andalucía (@AEMET_Andalucia) September 16, 2023

Currently, the seven reservoirs in the province are at 22 per cent of their capacity and only hold 135 hectometres of their possible 611. In the summer months, evaporation also intensifies due to the high temperatures.

Despite the restrictions that the Andalucian Government approved in the June Drought Committee, this atmospheric process, combined with the use of water for supply and irrigation, has caused the levels of the reservoirs to drop by 64.82 hectometres.

In June there were 200 hectometres in the seven reservoirs

On June 1, the seven reservoirs held 200 hectometres, according to data from the Hidrosur Network of the Junta de Andalucía.

When observing the data for each of the reservoirs, it should be noted that the Guadalteba reservoir had 71.56 hectometres; that of Guadalhorce 39.34; the Conde del Guadalhorce housed 16.86; that of La Concepción had 41.22 hectometres; Viñuela had 15.74 and in Limonero and Casasola there were about seven.

These reserves diminished gradually throughout this summer to leave Guadalteba with 46.3 hectometres. Guadalhorce has 29; with 11.6 in the Conde del Guadalhorce; La Concepción still houses 22.1 hectometres; Viñuela has 13.3; Limonero has just over five hectometres left and in Casasola, its reserves are six hectometres.

It should be noted that the reservoir with the most reserves right now is the Guadalteba reservoir, which is at 30.2 per cent of its capacity. In recent months however, it was also the reservoir from which the most water was consumed, about 25 hectometres.

La Concepción, with 38.3 per cent, and Guadalhorce with 23.1 per cent, are currently the two others with the highest reserves. Even so, during summer, their levels fell in the first by about 20 hectometres and in the second by about 10.

The third driest year in Malaga since 1961

The 2022-2023 hydrological year began in October 2022 and will end on September 30. According to data on August 31, provided by Jesús Riesco, the director of the AEMET in Malaga, this year is the third driest in the province since 1961. A total of 310 l/m² have fallen when on average, the province normally receives around 610 l/m².

When observing the data from the station at Malaga Airport, in the last 11 months, a total of 287 l/m² have been recorded, compared to the usual 487 l/m².

Riesco emphasized that without the rainfall in December: ‘the hydrological year would have been disastrous in terms of rain’. About 140 l/m² fell in that month when 88 l/m² are normally recorded, he pointed out.

After that month, May and June were the two other wettest months of this year. In May, 64 l/m² were registered, compared to the average 23 l/m² that falls. Similarly, in June, 9 l/m² was counted when the usual thing is for four to be recorded.

September has seen very little water collected

‘Very disparate amounts’ have been collected in September explained Riesco. He emphasised that between four and 10 l/m² had been recorded on the Costa del Sol.

In Alpandeire, between 20 and 40 l/between four and 10 l/m² have fallen, while Antequera saw around five, with another 15 l/between four and 10 l/m² in Algarrobo.

He added that in Viñuela, despite not being an AEMET station, they observed that more than 50 l/m² were collected and maintained that: ‘It is one of the areas in which it has rained the most this month of September’, as reported by malagahoy.es.