Hydraulic works and defense against floods. St Wenceslas flood experience
The presentations included in the program were the following:
- Presentation of the Conference D. Miguel Ángel Ródenas Cañada. Presidente de la CHS (1.03 MB )
- General Flood Defense Plan. D. Carlos Marco García. Jefe de Área de Proyectos y obras de la CHS (6.45 MB )
- The Flood Lamination Dam System.The Flood Lamination Dam System. D. Juan Ginés Muñoz López. Jefe de Área de Regadío Tradicional de la CHS. D. Carlos Marco García. Jefe de Área de Proyectos y obras de la CHS (5.62 MB )
- Riada de San Wenceslao in the Segura basin. D. Rafael Belchí Gómez. Director Técnico de la CHS (12.17 MB )
- Territorial impact of the Riada de San Wenceslao in the Segura basin. D. José Carlos González Martínez. Comisario de Aguas de la CHS (17.46 MB )
- Experiences and solutions for the improvement of the Defense System against Floods of the Segura Basin. D. Miguel Ángel Ródenas Cañada. Presidente de la CHS (4.5 MB )
Wave of avenue in Puerto Lumbreras 10/28/2012
According to the Automatic Hydrological Information System, rainfall reached the maximum daily figure of 179 l / m² with an intensity of 17 l / m² in 5 minutes. The rains were mainly concentrated around the Guadalentín and Mula rivers and triggered an avenue peak flow of 4,500 m³ / sec. in Valdeinfierno and about 2,500 m³ / sec in the Rambla de Nogalte. A colossal avenue that would have devastated the valleys of Guadalentín and Segura itself, with foreseeable peaks of over 2,000 m³ / sec as it passes through the cities of Lorca, Murcia and Orihuela.
Hydrographs of avenue in the Valdeinfierno reservoir and the Rambla de Nogalte in Puerto Lumbreras. 09/28/2012. Source SAIH Segura.
The Defense Plan for the Segura basin involved the construction, and in some cases, the regrowth of 13 large dams. It also included the construction of diversion and channeling canals such as the Segura River itself in its middle and final section.
The General Defense System built managed to fragment and laminate the dimension of the avenue in such a way that the circulating flows in the cities of Lorca, Murcia and Orihuela were below the maximum capacity of their respective channeling.
However, flood damage occurred in rural areas with the unfortunate loss of several human lives, which also shows that there is still room for improvement and that the Plan must be expanded in the future with the construction of several rolling reservoirs, the regrowth of other existing ones, as well as the improvement of channeling and drainage.
The flood of San Wenceslao has shown that the always necessary urban discipline is not enough and that it is essential to have hydraulic defense works. It could have been a lot more and it wasn't. The dams save lives and farms.
