PROJECT ACTIONS

This refers to initial design activities and the collection of data from the sections of river that have been selected for the project due to their ecological value and their condition of being representative and demonstrative.

• A.1. Planning actions aimed at increasing longitudinal connectivity. This consists of writing the technical documents for the construction of fish ladders and the demolition of the disused dam. Several alternatives will be studied before adopting the ideal solution in each case.
• A.2. Initial inventory, assessment and diagnosis of the indicators selected for the monitoring and assessment of the biological communities in each area (fish community, plant community, bird population, riverbank fauna and the classification of the ecological status).
• A.3 Design of the restoration and rehabilitation projects to be carried out in each area. The aim of this action is to develop a draft for the river restoration projects that will be implemented in the areas surrounding the relevant dams. An initial analysis will also be made of any possible repercussions of the action, with suggestions proposed for corrective work to minimise any possible impact.
• A.4 Developing social participation mechanisms in order to define a manual of good practices and a Land Stewardship Network. The aim of this action is to analyse the real possibilities of creating a network that will encourage cooperation between individuals, local government bodies, private institutions, and environmental organisations and associations, in order to achieve firm commitment to the protection and preservation of the biodiversity of our rivers.

• B.1 Increasing river connectivity: Elimination of a disused dam. This action includes work prior to the demolition (establishing access routes, clearing and remodelling the surrounding area, etc.), the demolition itself, the elimination of waste generated during the work, and the posterior reconditioning of the area.
• B.2 Increasing river connectivity: building fish ladders on eight dams in use. This activity consists of carrying out the projects for building the fish ladders.
• B.3 Increasing river connectivity: River restoration related to the fish ladders. The objective of this action is to check and confirm whether the environmental restoration associated with building the fish ladders will improve the longitudinal continuity of the river and, therefore, its role as a green corridor.
• B.4 Development of a land stewardship network in the project area. The aim of this action is to develop a manual of good management practice and a land stewardship network: the “Segura Guardian Network”, which aims to involve land owners and users of the Segura River in the conservation of the river and its natural resources.

• C.1 Monitoring activities. These include:
  
  • Task 1: Indicators to assess how well the fish ladders are working and the extent of the improvement in river connectivity.
  • Task 2: Biological indicators: Fish fauna. This action will be carried out to analyse the impact of the river-connectivity improvements on the fish community.
  • Task 3: Evolution indicators for the restoration and rehabilitation activities performed.
  • Task 4: Biological indicators: Bird populations and other fauna associated with the riverbanks.
  • Task 5: Evolution of the ecological status of the bodies of water.
• C.2 Evaluation of the socio-economic impact of the project.

D. Communication and information activities related to the project. The objective is to provide information about the project and the activities that make up its different phases, thereby fostering the transfer of valid methodologies to other areas of the Segura basin. There will be three programmes for the publication and transfer of information:

• A general publication programme.
• An environmental education programme.
• A volunteer programme.

• E.1 General project management.
• E.2 Creation of post-LIFE actions (AfterLife Plan).
• E.3 Economic and financial auditing.
• E.4 Networking activities.