19 March 2019

Enjoy the water in a sustainable manner

Water is a valuable resource that needs sustainable management for its responsible use. In addition to being an important source of renewable energy, it has other recreational-social uses thanks to correct regulation of its flow and volume.

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World Water Day is celebrated Friday, 22 March. It’s a day marked on the calendar intended to highlight the importance of water and the sustainable management of this resource. To celebrate this day, the UN invites everyone to do activities that promote the conservation and development of water resources. Specifically, this year’s slogan is "Leaving No One Behind".

Water plays a key role in reducing poverty, economic growth and environmental sustainability. Specifically, water is key to human well-being, but it only works as a renewable resource if it is well-managed. Here is where we become a key player because of the importance of energy in the management and development of water resources.

Water infrastructures completely depend on energy throughout its value chain, from pumping underground waters, transport, the purification of water, desalination, the distribution of water to economic uses and the population until the collection, management and treatment of wastewater.

In addition, water can also be a source of renewable energy in and of itself. Hydroelectric energy allows a multi-use of water (potable, irrigation, tourist uses, etc.), and is essential in the regulation of water channels to prevent them from affecting the population. We contribute to these objectives of social well-being in the different territories where our hydroelectric plants are located, which we manage through our renewable energy division, Enel Green Power Spain.

But our commitment goes beyond that; for many years, we have contributed to several cultural and athletic associations to facilitate the proper development of several events and competitions that are held in the areas surrounding reservoirs and hydroelectric plants. Thus, we understand the importance of athletic events for social and economic life of the municipalities where they are held, and by extension, the region.

Water regulation for leisure-social use requires a demanding periodic maintenance of the hydroelectric plants, along with a reliable system of communications between the plants and the control centre. In this way, we increase or reduce the flow so that the reservoirs or rivers have an optimal state that guarantees the safety when practising sport or recreational activities.

Specifically, with this flow regulation, we provide the perfect conditions for practising rafting, kayaking, sport fishing, obstacle courses, canyoning, sailing, windsurfing, military training tests and different recreational activities such as the use of reservoirs as beaches at different points of the Spanish geography. Will you join me?

On the following list, you can find the activities broken down for each Autonomous Community:

Energy and sports

Water is the engine of our hydroelectric power plants. With it, we generate clean energy for all. However, we also ensure the local communities benefit from it and can participate in sports competitions. Find out about them!

Lake As Pontes : Windsurfing, triathlon, obstacle racing and sailing.
A Ribeira and Eume : Kayaking, fishing and local parties.
Prada : River beach.
Las Rozas and Bárcena : Kayaking and river beach.
Campañana and Peñarubia : Kayaking, army training and rafting.
Puente Porto and Moncabril : Kayaking.
Zújar : Kayaking.
Mequinenza : Triathlon.
Llavorsí and la Torrassa : Kayak, rafting, fishing and local parties.
Camarasa : Kayaking.
Flix : Kayaking and local parties.
Tranco de Beas : Rafting.
Negratín : Rafting.
Villafranca and El Carpio : Kayaking.
Iznájar : Kayaking and rafting.
Ronda : Obstacle racing.
Villafranca and El Carpio : Kayaking.
Buitreras : Canyoning.
Corchado : Kayaking and trekking.

Accessible version

Activities in Catalonia and Aragón

Hydroelectric plants of Llavorsí and Torrassa (Lérida)

The river and reservoirs of Noguera Pallersa in Llavorsí are the protagonists between March and October for water activities like rafting, freestyle kayak, Raiers festival and sport fishing thanks to the flow management that we do at Endesa.

More information on the pages of Rialp Turisme, Rafting 10 and the Town Hall of La Pobla de Segur.

Hydroelectric Station of Camarasa (Lleida)

In Camarasa, we adjust the turbine flow of the plant and we adapt the inflow to maintain the flow of the river and the optimal conditions for people to descend by kayak from Bajo Segre, which takes place in August.

More information on the tourism website of Lleida.

Hydroelectric Station of Flix (Tarragona)

The turbine flow of this plant in Flix is adapted to guarantee the adaptation of the Ebro River to the activities of the area, including the festival of the River Flix in January and the regata of the descent down the Meandro Villa of Flix on 15 August.

More information on the tourism website of Flix.

Hydroelectric Station of Mequinenza (Zaragoza)

We guarantee that the Ribarroja reservoir in Mequinenza maintains an optimal state for the half-triathlon of Mequinenza to be held in July.

More information at Mequinenza Triathlon.

Activities in Galicia and Castilla y León

Hydroelectric Station of A Ribeira and Eume (A Coruña)

The controlled release of flows allows hosting different kayaking competitions in the A Ribeira reservoir. The Baixada do Eume international regata has been held there for 51 years. We also collaborated in the Water Festival of As Pontes, which is a large swimming event in the Eume river. Occasionally, upon request of the Federación Gallega de Pesca, we provide the water conditions necessary to host the “Concentración de la selección autonómica de salmónidos mosca en el coto Ombre del río Eume” (“Gathering of the Regional Selection of Fly Salmonids in the Ombre del Río Eume Preserve”).

More information at Club Náutico Firrete, Coto de pezca and the tourism website of As Pontes.

Lake of the As Pontes Thermal Station (A Coruña)

In the As Pontes lake, different sport activities are also held from June to September. Thanks to the environmental restoration work of the former coal mine, today this natural space hosts competitions of kayaking, triathlons, obstacle course, sailing, windsurfing and manoeuvring activities in the Marina.

More information on the tourism website of As Pontes.

Prada Hydroelectric Station (Ourense)

The Prada reservoir beach, in the municipality of A Veiga can be enjoyed in summer thanks to the height limitations that are established in late June upon request of the town hall. In addition, the dam areas are also used for recreational activities.

More information at La voz de Galicia.

Hydroelectric Station of Las Rozas and Bárcena (León)

A height limitation in the Las Rozas dam during the summer allows us to have one of the traditional bath areas of Palacios del Sil to be in optimal conditions. In addition, we keep the height of the Bárcena reservoir high in order to allow for recreational uses like kayaking and other activities.

More information at Leona aventure.

Hydroelectric Station of Campañana and Peñarrubia (León)

From May to October, El Bierzo has rafting activities and in April, it hosts the “Spanish Cup and Championship of Rough Water Descent, Individual, Classic and Sprint, and in patrol boats: River Sil”. To do so, we coordinate and do controlled water releases and we adjust the flows to host the activities. In addition, army trainings are also held in this area.

More information at Real Federación Española de Piragüismo and Binatur.

Hydroelectric Station of Puente Porto and Moncabril (Zamora)

The Sanabria Lake and the Puente Porto reservoir are locations used for sport activities. While the first serves as a space for leisure use in summer, in part thanks to the use and review of the Moncabril station, the reservoir is used for kayaking trainings at height.

More information on the tourism website of Sanabria.

Activities in Andalusia and Extremadura

Hydroelectric Station of Iznájar (Córdoba)

Rafting and kayaking are the sport activities that can be done at the River Genil when passing by Benajemí, making the most of the turbine flow of the Iznájar station. These events are held between May and October, though they may take place in other months depending on the water releases.

More information at Benajemí Rafting.

Hydroelectric Stations of Villafranca and El Carpio (Córdoba)

The stations of Villafranca de Córdoba allow regulating the delta of the River Guadalquivir so that practising kayaking can be a reality throughout the year.

More information at Yumping.

Hydroelectric Station of Negratín (Granada)

The turbine flow of the Negratín reservoir in the River Guadiana Menor is taken advantage of to practise rafting in the area during the months from May to October.

More information at Arucema.

Hydroelectric Station of Tranco de Beas (Jaén)

From mid-May to mid-September, the turbine flow is enjoyed from the Tranco de Beas station, in Villanueva del Arzobispo, to do rafting in the Upper Guadalquivir.

More information at Guadalkayak.

Hydroelectric Station of Buitreras (Málaga)

The rocky formations of the Cathedral of the Barrancos (also called the Buitreras Canyon), in Cortes de la Frontera, are the perfect environment to enjoy canyoning with the appropriate flow thanks to the management that is carried out from the station.

More information on the tourism website of Málaga.

Hydroelectric Station of Corchado (Málaga)

A journey by kayak or by foot along the layout of the canal. Both combinations are possible thanks to the channel of the River Guadiaro and its proximity to the channel of the station dam located in Gaucín.

More information at Pangea.

Hydroelectric Station of Ronda (Málaga)

Once per year, the municipality of Ronda hosts the Bull Race obstacle course, which crosses the installations of the hydroelectric station next to the River Guadalevín. The race takes place on 7 July.

More information at Runedia.

Hydroelectric Station of Zújar (Badajoz)

In Extremadura, kayaking can be done all year round in the Orellana La Vieja reservoir thanks to the turbine flow from the station, which allows descending the River Zújar by kayak.

More information at Extremadura Excursions.