Presentation of the project.

LIFE + SEGURA RIVERLINK is a project coordinated by the Segura Hydrographic Confederation and co-financed by the LIFE + Program of the European Union, which tries to solve an environmental problem in the Segura Basin.

The Segura River, the backbone of Murcia, is the protagonist of many of the region's most environmentally rich natural sites. However, the great climatic contrasts that the basin presents, together with the different uses that man has given it (agricultural, energy ...), have made it one of the most regulated channels in Europe due to the existence of numerous built-up river obstacles. along its route.

These obstacles, such as dams and weirs, interrupt the natural flow of the current and constitute physical barriers to the natural movements of migration, dispersal and colonization of fish between the upper and lower reaches of the river, giving rise to serious environmental problems and worsening the ecological status of the river.

LIFE + SEGURA RIVERLINK is a demonstration project that will be carried out in the Region of Murcia, in a section of the Segura and Moratalla rivers and that includes some areas collected within the Natura 2000 Network. The project will seek to improve and strengthen connectivity between natural ecosystems through a series of actions aimed at bringing the river closer to its natural state. For this, techniques will be used to permeabilize these structures, such as the demolition of a disused weir and the construction of fish ladders. All these actions are accompanied by an ecological restoration of the banks.

At the same time, an exhaustive monitoring program is launched that, through the monitoring of biological, physical-chemical and hydromorphological indicators, will allow the validity of these actions to be checked, the results obtained to be evaluated and their subsequent transfer to the rest of the basin and other rivers with similar problems.

Likewise, the creation of a Territory Custody network in adjacent lands is contemplated to guarantee the sustainability of the actions, as well as a volunteer program and an environmental education program to make society aware of the importance of conserving our river ecosystems. and encourage their active participation.

• Name: LIFE + SEGURA RIVERLINK.
• Duration: August 1, 2013 - July 30, 2017.
• Budget: € 3,424,250.
• EU co-financing: € 1,655,555 (49.83%).
• Partners: Segura Hydrographic Confederation (CHS), Agrarian and Agrifood Technology Center of the University of Valladolid (ITAGRA-CT), the University of Murcia (UMU), the General Directorate for the Environment of the Region of Murcia (CARM ) and the Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE).

You can obtain more information about the LIFE + Programs at the following link: LIFE + Programs .