Albufera d'Alcúdia

Story of a coastal lagoon through time...

   

 

Wetlands are very important natural areas. They provide a safe and lush environment for many different species of plants and animals, especially birds.

   

Besides, they store water and remove the excess of nitrates used to fertilize the ground.

   

An important Convention took place in Iran in 1970. Since then, governments worldwide have 

compromised themselves on wetlands protection

   

There are five main costal lagoons in the Balearic Islands: S'Albufera d'Alcúdia and Es Salobrar de Campos, in Mallorca; S'Albufera d'Es Grau in Menorca, Ses Salines d'Eivissa and s'Estany Pudent in Formentera. The Albufera d'Alcúdia is the largest and the most important.

   

Most water of the Albufera comes from the rain, by way of seasonal streams -torrents- and

springs from subterranean aquífers -ullals-. It also has a

small amount of seawater intrusion in summer.

   

Romans already used Albufera as a natural hardbour and a source of food.

In fact, they built an important city nearby -Pol·lèntia- for that reason.

   

Arabs cultivated the fertile lands surrounding the Albufera.

   

Since XVII Century on, people had been trying to gain new lands from the Albufera. People wanted these new lands to cultivate them.

   

The huge amount of mosquitoes living in thearea was the cause of a lot of diseases, such as malaria. So, for sanitary reasons, Government decided to dry it up in XIX Century.

   

After a first project, a second one, much more ambitious, was executed by an English company, the New Majorca Land Company. More than 1.500 people worked hard, but the project never was ended.

   

Traditionally, the Albufera has had a lot of uses: Hunting, fishing (anguiles, for instance), gathering canyís (to make the ceilings of the houses) or bova (to make chairs)...

   

And, besides, during the XX Century, the Albufera had many other different uses: people cultivated rice, placed a paper factory, extracted salt...

   

The progress threatened the Albufera: urban develpment, intesive agriculture and the close proximity of the electric power station of Es Murterar put this important wetland in danger.

   

A lot of voices claimed to stop the Albufera's destruction.

   

Finally, the Albufera was declared Natural Park by the Balearic Government on 28th February 1988. It was the first naturally protected area in the Balearic Islands.

   

The end!!!

By: Aina Morant      Gracia Rico      Sara Schweiss      Maria del Mar Mas      Tabea Achinger      Maria Burguera