At the Beliche Dam, in the Algarve, the opening of the floodgates is scheduled for 2pm, and the operation should be repeated later at the Odeleite Dam on Friday at 10am, a source from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) told Lusa.
According to the same source, the controlled discharges aim to “lower the reservoir level for safety reasons,” this being the second consecutive year in which it has been necessary to carry out preventive discharges.
“After more than 10 years of drought, this is already the second consecutive year of preventive discharges, with positive impacts on the ecological recovery of the riverbanks,” the same source highlighted.
Last March, the Odeleite Dam had already been the target of a temporary controlled discharge to manage flows, something that had not happened since 2018.
In a statement, the Municipality of Castro Marim appealed to the population of the riverside areas to adopt preventive measures, since the operation could “cause a significant increase in the volume of water in the riverbanks and the Guadiana River.”
Therefore, to safeguard people, animals, and property, people should avoid circulating or remaining in potentially floodable areas and should not approach the banks of streams and the river during the discharge period.
The Odeleite Dam is the most important dam in the eastern Algarve, with the Beliche Dam located downstream in the same municipality in the Faro district.
The two dams are at 83% (Odeleite) and 75% (Beliche) of their capacity, respectively, according to data from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) as of December 22nd.
Due to water scarcity, in February 2024 the Government declared a state of alert for drought in the Algarve, applying restrictive measures to urban consumption, agriculture, and tourism, which would be eased in May.