EL DELTA DE L’EBRE
BY JENNIFER FIGUEROLA
The delta of the River Ebro, in the province of Tarragona, is the main coastal delta on the Iberian peninsula and one of the largest in the Med. It was once considered a micro-tidal delta dominated by the river regime and wave action. The tides reach their greatest magnitude in the months from September to November.
Owing to the loss in intensity of the influence of the River Ebro, the role of the waves has increased, meaning that now its development and morphology are dominated largely by wave action. With a coastal length of around 50km, the delta is basically a plain, no more than 4 or 5m above sea level, yet the submerged surface extends over some 2,172 sq km (Serra 1997).
There is a gravel base, largely made up of gravel and sand, muddy clays and mud, and with an upper level of medium and fine sand. Together this forms crevasse, dune and marsh structure, a birds and wildlife paradise.
The shoreline is formed by long sandy beaches with dunes topped with long grass and two great sand barriers at the ends that close off the Alfacs and Fangar bays. On the shoreline, salt flats alternate with reed beds and the rushes that grow by the lagoons. On the river banks, watered by the canals, there are waterside trees and long stretches of rice paddy, market gardens and orchards (lettuce, artichokes, fruit trees).
Formed in relatively recent geographical eras – since the last Ice Age about 11 000 years ago – its evolution has been very changeable over the centuries. The great plain includes many inland lagoons or lakes – Les Olles, Canal Vell, El Garxal, Els Calaixos, L’Alfacada, La Platjola, La Tancada and L’Encanyissada – and the river has formed islets such as Buda and Saint Antoni at the mouth.
In Roman times, the coast went in as far as Tortosa and in the 12th century it was situated near Amposta. In the 15th century it extended over 130sq km., behaving like an estuary.
And then America was discovered, which changed everything.
Suddenly ships, many more ships in fact, were needed, and the demand carried on through the 16th and half of the 17th century.
This prompted massive deforestation of the delta area, causing erosion at a much faster pace. The erosion, a great progression of sediments of some 10m a year, inevitably led to its expansion.
The historic mouth of the River Ebro is situated on the eastern side of the delta, but it changed after a great flood in October 1937, moving it to the north and beginning the opening of the current ‘Gol Nord’, (Northern Mouth).
By the end of the 50s, only this one was active and this situation continues today.
Adding to this phenomenon, was the construction of the dams, Mequinenza and Ribarroja in the 60s, which conditioned the current development for the delta front, which suffers naturally from continuous erosion without any compensation from river deposits.
Firstly the retention of solids by dams, together with the increase in water consumption, mainly for irrigation, and secondly, the marine processes, which are continuously reshaping the delta and altering its configuration.
This means that the last 28km of the River Ebro, which runs through the delta plain, show notably different characteristics to the ones it has upstream, mainly due to the existence of the dams.
Human occupation of the delta began quite late, closely linked to the transformation of the wetland into rice fields, aided by the construction of irrigation canals, in 1860 and 1912.
Malaria was finally eradicated, which created favourable conditions for building towns such as La Cava and Jesus I Maria, (now joined to form Deltebre).
The rice growing just about guarantees the preservation of the delta, as the flooding of the fields during a large part of the year helps to minimise the problem of salinisation. Since 1860 there has been a rapid increase in population, which has slowed down, coming to a halt during the 1990s.
There are 7 municipalities within the delta, with around 50 000 inhabitants, of which only 17 000 in the delta itself, i.e. Deltebre and San Jaume.
The main economy is agriculture, predominantly rice: of the 24,554 hectares under cultivation, 15,215 hectares correspond to rice, which represents 98% of the total production throughout Catalunya. It is followed by vegetables and fruit trees.
Agricultural co-operatives are very important.
Also, the La Trinitat salt pans at La Punta de la Banya, are the only remaining examples of salt pans in Catalunya. Fishing is also a fundamental activity in the area.
Riumar is the main beach area of Deltebre, and definitely worth a visit, where there is now quite a large urban development. Walking and losing yourself in this unusual landscape is an unforgettable experience. All means of transport are good: Walking, horseback, cycling – the completely flat terrain is imminently suited to this.
You can take the ferry between Sant Jaume and Deltebre, or a sail in one of the little boats that start below Deltebre and go as far as the Garxal zone at the mouth of the river. Or you can hire a fishing boat to take you out to the most secluded parts of the lagoons.
In order to encourage harmony between the natural value of the area and its use by humans, El Delta de L’Ebre Natural Park was declared by the government in 1983.
To promote this, there was a lot of advertising, followed by the development of an infrastructure, with services, making it a great tourist attraction.
Now famous for its birdlife, there are over 350 species and the Park has been internationally designated as a special protection area for birds.
Together the salt water, fresh water, salubrious and aquatic ecosystems have more than 600 species of plants. This diversity of habitats makes the Ebro Delta Natural Park an ideal spot for visitors wanting to observe and enjoy nature at its best.
The flora and fauna of the Delta is therefore rich and varied. Undoubtedly what gives it an ecological dimension of international interest is the bird life – water and sea birds – with large breeding colonies and stopping places for migratory birds that come in autumn and stay through the winter.
The Birdman of Deltebre
Marc is an English student of mine, who has lived all his life in Deltebre, in the heart of the town. He lives with his family in a lovely detached casa, with 2 Breton spaniels and around 60 ring-necked parakeets. The subject of birds came up incidentally one day in class and he invited us round to see them. Am I glad we took him up on his offer.
He has two enclosures, very professionally and purpose-built, where his birds live. Large, bright and airy, he said originally he bought birds from Spain but then travelled to Holland and now breeds solely ring-necked parakeets from there.
There were about ten breeding pairs that were nesting, and he opened one of the nesting boxes when ‘Mum’ had left the nest, to reveal the as yet unhatched eggs.
It was amazing. Everything was so clean and orderly, yet simply achieved. There was a huge fridge full of vegetables and fruit for their daily feeding, which he washed in a big bath with a connected tap on the wall over it.
He collected cuttlefish from the beach, washed them in the bath and hung them in the enclosures for sharpening their beaks. Mice were virtually non-existent – they were obviously learning it wasn’t a good idea to try and grab some fruit or bird food, as they had to pass over the big sheet of cardboard on the floor, covered with glue!!
Believe me, the cardboard won every time!
A couple of weeks later, Marc came to class, a huge grin on his face, to say his eggs had successfully hatched……. I must say I was jumping up and down with joy myself. I had seen his care, his devotion, his passion for his birds, and this had really touched me.
So I have included a few photos of Marc and his birds: The Birdman from Deltebre.
AS FOR ME personally, I have had the opportunity in January to play with the band, led by Josep M. Bonet, in the concert hall belonging to the major rice cooperative, BAYO, in Deltebre.
The occasion was to launch a book and CD written by a Catalan gentleman, Josep Bo, about the history of Deltebre. He is an elderly author, from Deltebre, highly respected, hence the massive turnout. There were over 700 people in the audience – not even standing room available. I include a photo from this memorable evening.(photo here)
And finally, last night, Sat.19th June, we played a proper gig in Deltebre La Cava, in the square opposite the church for the restaurant Nicoran.
It was a fantastic evening. The stage was a large one, with a huge domed canvas parasol protecting all the speakers and sound equipment.
They kicked off with activities and games involving motorbikes and barrels of beer and other strange props such as large nets and then at 8.30 we were on.
OUR FIRST SET of 20 songs lasted until 10. The wind was picking up but it did nothing to dull the atmosphere. We sat on tables laid for us in the square and were fed tapas – croquettes, cold meats, cheeses, mussels, chunky chips with seafood sauce, sausage platters, beer and wine.
Then the second set was shorter as we had to finish playing at midnight; strangely everyone’s watches must have been wrong, as we played until 12.30. Only the clock on the church tower ticked on, looking down over us.
We got away with it, and came away exhilarated after a perfect evening.
Deltebre has a strong sense of community, which had amazed me last January. But which really hit home last night, with so many families turning out,taking part and enjoying the evening together. The photos shown here try to emulate this atmosphere.
Short URL: http://www.chroniccat.com/?p=424
Posted by 
