Abona Farmers Demand Action on El Río Dam Amid Water Crisis

Farmers in the Abona region are urging the Island Council to fix the El Río dam. They say it's the only way to solve the water shortage for irrigation in Fasnia, Arico, Granadilla de Abona, San Miguel de Abona, and Arona.

The head of the local Cumbres de Abona winery put it simply: "They need to fix the dam and then fill it with whatever water they can find – treated, desalinated, from the southern canal, or even rainwater."

Manuel Marrero said that Rosa Dávila promised to repair the El Río dam during her 2023 election campaign. He added that the Island Council prepared a study on the dam this year, "but they won't show it to the farmers" and "they don't even answer our calls." He's "very worried" because "water is essential, and this work is essential. Politicians just aren't interested enough."

The El Río dam was designed in the 1960s to collect water from the El Río ravine, which separates Arico and Granadilla de Abona. It has eleven streams flowing into it. Located about 600 meters above sea level, it was meant to hold three million pipes of water, which is about one and a half million cubic meters. It was built by the Economic Command of the Canary Islands but was never finished and never became operational. However, farmers in the area were able to use some of the runoff water until the pump was stolen.

Manuel Marrero, a former councilor, is now "concerned." He said that in a meeting two months ago, Blanca Pérez, the island councilor for Natural Environment, announced that the Island Council would build a pond next to the Villa cemetery. "That idea was proposed by the Island Water Council in 2001; it's 2025, and there's still no contract, no land, nothing."

Blanca Pérez explained that the Island Council is working on a project to study ways to bring treated water from Fasnia to Granadilla de Abona and part of San Miguel. She emphasized that the treated water will be suitable for use and will come from Santa Cruz. She also mentioned that the contract for the desalination of treated water from the capital has been awarded for 16 million euros. This water "can be stored in the future Arico Pond, which we are trying to get funding for."

Blanca Pérez argues that the Island Council is taking "a more ambitious approach" by looking at different options to supply treated water throughout the region, "instead of just focusing on the El Río dam. We will present a study on this soon."