The Xunta de Galicia has started the most necessary river restoration work in the UMIA river basin. It is expected that more than 7,000 trees will be considered and for these actions a budget item has been allocated that exceeds € 2m.
The actions will affect the 15 kilometers of the Gallo River and a 23 -kilometer section of the Umia river. The objective of them is that the fronds contribute to improving the behavior of the area in the face of the risks of They produce heavy rains, which trigger flood episodes.
Frondas restoration in the Umia and Gallo rivers
The Xunta, through Augas de Galicia, is doing river restoration work in the basin of the Umia river -In the municipalities of Cuntis, Moraña and Forcarei- to improve the behavior of the area before possible floods. These actions, planned until the first half of 2026, have an investment of around 2 million euros and include the forecast of plant about 7,000 trees of different species.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez, accompanied by the territorial delegate of the Xunt Restoration work will affect the two margins of a 23 -kilometer stretch of the Umia River -That affects the municipalities of Cuntis, Moraña and Forcare- and the entire extension of the rooster (Cuntis), 15 kilometers.
The planned works include the withdrawal of fallen trees and biomass accumulated in the channels that hinder the free circulation of water -just what is being done right now in the Gallo River-, the removal of waste outside the ecosystemthe recovery of degraded areas by carrying out silvicultural treatments, the elimination of invasive exotic species and the plantation of about 7,000 trees of native species. Among them are oaks, laurels, ash, chestnuts and leafy.
The elderly will proceed to collapse of obsolete infrastructure and Recovery and protection of riverside areas through bioengineering techniquesinterventions that will also help facilitate the free of the waters.
The regional head stressed that these actions will contribute to Improve soil quality and improve the composition of the land in river environments increasing water retention and laminating the effects of possible growth in flow as well as reducing the speed of possible torrents. In short, he added, there will be work of protection, recovery, revegetation and precise cleaning – within the channel itself and in the area of sown – with the aim of creating a consolidated banks in the margins of both rivers.
Is Wooded areas will have a fundamental role to mitigate the impact of possible overflows to intense rainfallthen Gallo River It is declared as a potential and significant risk area (ARPSI). In fact, the Xunta is already addressing with the City Council the possibility of developing another project in the area to deal with these flood risks, with measures, including the creation of a controlled flood zone.
The necessary green runners
Ángeles Vázquez also stressed that planting riverbank in the surroundings of the rivers, in addition to cushioning the damage caused by floods, allows the creation of green corridors and refuge for faunabringing important social and environmental benefits for river ecosystems and nearby communities.
These actions in the Umia and Gallo rivers give continuity to those executed in recent years under the protection of the Autonomic Conservation Plan of the Galicia-Costa demarcation riversan effort that the Xunta will reinforce in the coming years.
In fact, this year’s planning has a budget of 2.7 million euros for the removal of trees fallen in river channels, cleaning the margins, the control of invasive exotic species and in the Remoke from obstacles that prevent the flow from the waterssome works that will affect around 550 kilometers of river channels.