Work begins to remove giant reeds from the Gorgos riverbed
After the removal, some sections of the riverbed with be covered in a geotextile material to prevent reed regrowth.
Thursday 10th November 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: Ajuntament de Xàbia
The Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (CHJ) has started cleaning and removing reeds from the Gorgos riverbed this week. The work, repeatedly requested by the local council in Xàbia, will be carried out between the Avenida del Pla bridge to the mouth of the river to remove the groups of giant reeds (arundo donax), an invasive species which native to Asia but has colonized the Mediterranean area.
It is planned that some sections of the river channel will be covered with a geotextile material. The temperature under this “synthetic carpet” will reach up to 70 degrees in the summer which will kill off the roots of the reeds. Subsequently, the riverbank will be recovered with native plant species. The technique has already been successfully applied by the CHJ in sections of the Gorgos river at Benigembla and in the river Girona in Alcalalí.
In addition to the elimination of giant reeds, the work will remove the larger tree species that may pose a risk during a flood situation of the river, and the gravel of the bed will be levelled, removing the excess of accumulated contributions.
The councilor responsible for Services, Kika Mata, expressed her satisfaction that the CHJ has undertaken this work after a long time requesting it to improve the safety of the Gorgos when it flows strongly during episodes of intense rains. At the end of August the local council carried out the cleaning of the urban ravines.
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