The Island Water Council of Lanzarote, which recently received the modernization works in terms of security promoted in the Mala dam, has just completed another new project: the conditioning and improvement of the Órzola ravine, in the municipality of Haría.
The works, which have a budget of 73,221.64 euros, manage to correct the deterioration of this important channel that runs between farms and flows into the sheltered area of the Port of Órzola.
The Minister of Water of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Domingo Cejas, visited this Thursday the intervention promoted by the Island Council, accompanied by the mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba, together with the island councilor Aroa Revelo and the local councilor Marcos Lemes. They had the opportunity to see the result of these works of reconstruction of the riverbed, recovering the natural slopes and underpinning the stone walls affected by erosion, among other tasks.
“I thank the Island Water Council for competently executing one more of its useful projects demanded by the population, such as the care of our natural channels. When the rains come we don't want surprises; and with this intervention we will ensure that the sludge does not reach the port area”, explained the councilor.
Returning the area to its original state
Once the works began in the ravine, the project has been executed in record time (the conclusion was scheduled for November), completing several key actions such as land leveling or pipe replacement. Erosion had generated unevenness of up to 2.5 meters, which posed a risk both for residents who went to their farms and for passers-by in the area.
Councilor Domingo Cejas highlighted the importance of these works for the safety and well-being of the residents of Órzola. “The deterioration of this ravine not only affected the local hydrological functioning. With this project we are restoring a natural infrastructure and we are also improving the resilience of the area against future heavy rains.”
On the other hand, the mayor Alfredo Villalba thanked the Cabildo of Lanzarote “for the willingness and speed with which it has done the work”. Both the councilor and the northern mayor agreed on the success of the action. With an action area of 8,800 square meters, the project manages to return the area to its original state.
In the works tons of materials have been removed and more than a thousand cubic meters of contribution material have been used to fill the most affected areas.
From the Island Water Council, in addition, they have announced that they will now project a new intervention in the final section of the ravine to install some settling tanks that further reduce the presence of waste among the possible runoff that flows into the Port of Órzola.