Case study:Biodiversity conservation and recovery in the river basin Asón

0.00

(0 votes)

To discuss or comment on this case study, please use the discussion page.

Location: 43° 21' 10.03" N, 3° 25' 59.53" W

Edit location

Loading map...

{"format":"googlemaps3","type":"HYBRID","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"limit":50,"offset":0,"link":"all","sort":[""],"order":[],"headers":"show","mainlabel":"","intro":"","outro":"","searchlabel":"... further results","default":"","import-annotation":false,"width":"auto","height":"400px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":14,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[""],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"showtitle":false,"hidenamespace":true,"template":"Location map popup","userparam":"","activeicon":"","pagelabel":false,"ajaxcoordproperty":"","ajaxquery":"","locations":[{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProject Title:\u003C/b\u003E Biodiversity conservation and recovery in the river basin As\u00f3n\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECountry:\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"/wiki/index.php?title=Spain\" title=\"Spain\"\u003ESpain\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProject Status:\u003C/b\u003E Complete\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThemes:\u003C/b\u003E \n\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E","title":"Biodiversity conservation and recovery in the river basin As\u00f3n","link":"","lat":43.352785370162,"lon":-3.4332020032714,"icon":"/wiki/images/a/af/Red_marker.png"}]}

Left click to look around in the map, and use the wheel of your mouse to zoom in and out.

Project overview

Edit project overview

Status	Complete
Project web site	http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.createPage&s_ref=LIFE99%20NAT/E/006333&area=1&yr=
Themes
Country	Spain
Main contact forename	Carlos
Main contact surname	Sánchez Martínez
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre
Contact organisation web site	http://www.fnyh.org/noticias-fundacion-naturaleza-y-hombre/la-comision-europea-visito-la-cuenca-del-ason.html
Partner organisations
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Project picture

Project summary

Edit project overview to modify the project summary.

The Asón River source is located in the Collados del Asón Natural Park. It flows through habitats classified as of Community Interest. These are the habitats of species of great interest such as Pyrenean musk rat, wolf, salmon and European bison. Downstream, where the waters from the river meet the sea, are the Santoña salt marshes. This site is an important staging post on the migration route for hundreds of species of birds, which congregate there during the winter. Three sites representative of the valuable ecosystems along this river have been proposed for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network.

The aims of the project comprise not only the hydromorphological restoration of the river, but the conservation of the entire river basin. The project carries out diverse actions in three areas of the basin: at the head, in the middle, and at the estuary. The measures at the river include environmental education information and awareness at the interpretation centre of the SCI. The improvement of instream habitat for salmonids, the recovery of otter, silvicultural treatments and hydrological study are some of the actions developed.

This project counts with the support of local, regional, national and European institutions. The financing comes from the LIFE initiative, the Consejería of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, INEM and Caja Cantabria.The total budget was of 1,233,905.50 €. The UE cofinanced part of the project with 616,952.75 € from the Life initiative. Environment, INEM and Caja Cantabria.

Monitoring surveys and results

Edit project overview to modify the Monitoring survey and results.

Technical studies were completed, authorisations obtained and management plans were prepared for the three sites.

A total of 25 Cantabrian chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica parva) were reintroduced and seven young were born, bringing the total to 32 animals present at the end of the project. Some 62 ha of land was bought (34 plots) and reforested with beech (Fagus silvatica) forest, and agreements were signed for the reforestation on an additional 23 ha. An agreement to lease 30 ha of holm oak forest was obtained. Agreements with hunting associations to lease hunting rights and create no-hunting zones were signed for 4 226 ha within the SCIs. Forestry management included planting of trees, protecting trees with photodegradable guards, creating fire breaks, and scrub clearance. As a result of this project work, monitoring showed that numbers of the following species had increased: wolf, European hare (Lepus europaeus), Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) and Golden eagle (Aguila chrysaetos). Fencing was erected at the entrance to a cave, which was being used for sheltering livestock, to reduce disturbance to several colonies of two Habitats Directive Annex II bat species (Rinolophus ferrumequinum and R. hipposideros). Since its installation, the colonies have increase from 12 to 22. Three dams were to be removed on the Asón river – but this was revised to the building of fish passes instead. These were not established in the project duration although the necessary permissions were obtained. After an environmental impact assessment and hydrological studies, 12.5 ha of the Montehano salt marsh was re-flooded and 13 ha of exotic species, such as Eucalyptus, were removed. Surveillance patrols managed fire risk and hunting, as well and ecological monitoring. An interpretive centre was set up and outreach included school children, farmers, fishermen, hunters, tourists and cavers. In addition to the land the project purchased, a further 63 ha were ceded by councils and associations for restoration and conservation.

At the end of the project, the Foundation obtained an Interreg IIIB [Interreg is an EU-funded programme, IIIB deals with transnational co-operation involving national, regional and local authorities] project (“Waterwaysnet”) to allow the awareness-raising and habitat investigation actions to continue.

The broad awareness-raising campaign has reached women’s associations, schoolchildren (12 schools, 1 500 students in 2000-2001), the general public, farming and fishing unions, sports associations(cavers), tourism-related institutions. In all, some 35 institutions have been informed about the project.

Lessons learnt

Edit project overview to modify the lessons learnt.

One of the main pressures is the surface water abstraction. In 1973 the Hydraulic Planning Service had the rights for extract 150 l/s over a period of 99 years from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Norte. The demographic evolution of the coast towns (even higher during the summer), the urbanisation and the increase of the industrial use of water made this concession obsolete. Subsequentley, the construction of bombs and the substitution of the existing pipes by ones of bigger capacity enabled the extraction of an amount of water much higher than allowed.

The reduction of flow at dry summer periods is reflected in the inexistence of flow. Also,this decrease would affect not only the Asón River, but to the Marshes themselves, where changes in the patterns of salinity (keys to the very existence of the marsh)during periods of severe drought alterations, may affect the biological communities.

Other threats to this site derived from human activities and over-use of the resources are: draining of the marshes, unauthorised shellfish farming, illegal fishing, poaching and the spread of exotic species. Misplanning and mismanagement of tourism, in turn, are having an adverse impact on conservation of some of these sites.

Image gallery

Edit Image gallery

Birth of Asón River in Cailagua waterfall

Aerial view of Asón River in Ampuero

Ason River un Ramales

Ason River in a reach without modifications

Ason River in a channeled reach

Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district River basin Asón Subcatchment River name Asón Area category 100 - 1000 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 200 - 500 m Maximum altitude (m) Dominant geology Calcareous Ecoregion Ibero-Macaronesian Dominant land cover Extensive agriculture Waterbody ID Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Sinuous Reference morphology Sinuous Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body true National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Natura 2000 Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Artificially regulated, Estuary Dominant substrate Estuarine mud River corridor land use Intensive agriculture Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) 39000 m39 km <br />3,900,000 cm <br /> Project started 1999/05/01 Works started Works completed 2004/11/01 Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) 1233 k€1,233,000 € <br /> Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Consejería of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, INEM and Caja Cantabria, EU LIFE Programme Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre Carlos Sánchez Martínez Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Riparian development, Discharge licence Hydromorphology Quantity & dynamics of flow Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Conservation of the entire Asón basin Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Weir removal Floodplain / River corridor Removal of exotic plants Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Management for increase species like Lepus europaeus, Capreolus capreolus, Columba palumbus andAguila chrysaetos Social measures (incl. engagement) Surveillance patrols managed fire risk and hunting Other Interpretive centre was set up Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Quantity & dynamics of flow Yes Yes Yes Improvement Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents PDF information (in Spanish) Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.createPage&s ref=LIFE99%20NAT/E/006333&area=1&yr= Life Project Link Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information