The Sau reservoir, in the Osona region, is this Tuesday practically full and only lets the crown of the church of Sant Romà de Sau be seen. The situation is repeated in the Susqueda reservoir, in Girona, which has exceeded its maximum capacity and has forced the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) to open the floodgates to release water.
Reservoirs at the limit in the Ter-Llobregat system
The intense rains of recent days have caused the reservoirs of the Ter-Llobregat system to reach maximum capacity. According to the ACA, the set of Catalonia's internal basins reaches this Tuesday 97.51% of its volume. The water stored in Susqueda remains above its limit, with 101.45%, although it has slightly decreased compared to the 102.14% registered on Monday.
El Sau (155.42 m3/s) and Susqueda (226.82 m3/s) are overflowing, according to official data. Other reservoirs such as Foix, Darnius-Boadella on the La Muga river and La Baells on the Llobregat have also exceeded their capacity, with records of 3.37 m3/s, 61.32 m3/s and 106.28 m3/s respectively.
Concern in the affected municipalities
The mayor of Vilanova de Sau, Eva Viñolas, has expressed the concern of the residents regarding the situation of the reservoir.
"The situation has the population worried" - Eva Viñolas, mayor of Vilanova de Sau
Viñolas has lamented that the ACA had not initiated the reservoir discharge earlier and has pointed out that the council only receives information by email, without the possibility of intervening in the management.
"They only receive information via email, without the possibility of influencing the matter" - Eva Viñolas, mayor of Vilanova de Sau
Controlled release and forecasts
A source from the hydraulic administration has assured that the opening of the floodgates in Susqueda responds to a controlled and planned maneuver, adjusted to the meteorological forecasts.
"The emptying of Susqueda has been a totally controlled maneuver" - Source from the hydraulic administration
The same source has explained that security measures have been increased after the storm updates issued by Meteocat.
"They had increased the measures upon seeing the updates of the storm from Meteocat"
The ACA foresees that the volume of water released will vary depending on the flow of the rivers and meteorological forecasts, both for precipitation and temperature changes. The release from other dams, such as Llosa de Cavall and Sant Ponç, is expected through the controlled opening of the drainage mechanisms. Currently, these reservoirs maintain records of 72.16 m3/s and 22.72 m3/s respectively in the Cardener river.
The temple of Sant Romà de Sau, historical witness under the water
The church of Sant Romà de Sau, consecrated in 1062 and located in Vilanova de Sau, is an 11th-century Romanesque temple. A recent study has confirmed that it is the oldest church in the world that remains standing submerged underwater. At this moment, only the crown of the bell tower peeks out above the surface of the reservoir.