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Reservoir of Elda

Elda, El Vinalopó Mitjà, Alicante

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 2 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

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Reservoir of Elda

Nature · Elda, El Vinalopó Mitjà, Alicante

The embalse de Elda is a hydraulic work for containing and storing irrigation water, built in the bed of the río Vinalopó as it passes through Elda (Alicante) around 1698, one of the oldest in Spain. It arose from an agreement in 1684 between the town and the count of Elda to end long-running disputes over water, especially with neighbouring Sax. The original dam, between 11 and 13 metres high and without a spillway, had an initial capacity estimated at 700,000 cubic metres; only the abutments cut into the rock on either side remain of it. Reformed between 1842 and 1890 to remove silt and repair damage, it ended up with a capacity of 200,000 cubic metres. Now disused as a reservoir, the area is home to a community of tamarisks, the main object of its ecological protection.

Photo: Fernan79 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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