The word "drought" must be one of the most repeated in recent months in the Campo de Gibraltar in the media and among the population. And it's no wonder. The delicate situation of the reservoirs in the region, as is the case in many other parts of Andalusia and Spain, has led, among other measures, to water restrictions and reduced pressure. However, while still serious, the passage of storm Mónica has made itself felt in the reservoirs.
The rains of the last few days, which began in the middle of last week, have replenished the reservoirs of much of Andalusia and the province. In the Campo de Gibraltar, it's been more of the same, with a notable increase of 11 cubic hectometers in just one week, according to data from the Hidrosur network. On March 4th, Charco Redondo and Guadarranque, the main ones that supply the region except for Tarifa, had a total of 42 cubic hectometers, while now they stand at 53.34. They are still far from the figures of a year ago, when they held 80.6 cubic hectometers.
It is worth remembering, to understand the severity of the situation, that the emergency limit set by the public company Arcgisa is at 41.5 cubic hectometers, which is approximately less than a year's consumption under normal conditions.
In addition to the copious precipitation brought by Mónica, it was her predecessors who prepared the ground by moistening the already cracked and dry lands that were eagerly awaiting the rains to hydrate. With these lands barely retaining water, much of it has ended up being stored, leading to this rise in levels.
Although the data is clear, the main indication for citizens is the simple sight. As you can see in the images accompanying this news, last October the water occupied a tiny space in the Charco Redondo reservoir. Even the lands were cracked around the water tank. Currently, still far from the years of plenty when the bridge was completely submerged, under the columns of it, there is a greater amount of liquid, in addition to a greening of the entire surface, with plants emerging.
There is still a long way to go and, although the currents may bring some more water in the coming days, the Campo de Gibraltar remains pending and more than ever on its reservoirs.