Restauración ambiental de los entornos del Rec Comtal en Vallbona
Restauració ambiental dels entorns del Rec Comtal a Vallbona
Environmental restoration of Rec Comtal surroundings in Valbona
Previous state
Rec Comtal was one of the most important hydraulic infrastructures in Barcelona that supplied the city with water and irrigated the territory of Besós agricultural basin from the 10th century to the middle of the 20th century.
The presence of an open-air irrigation channel was a catalyst for the development of public spaces and social life in Barcelona and for the exploitation of agriculture and industry. For this reason, it is an essential element for understanding the economic and social development of the last thousand years of the history of Barcelona’s Plan.
Today, much of the Rec Comtal’s natural environment and social activity have been lost, and the archaeological remains are neglected. The only section that maintains running water is in Vallbona neighbourhood, although it only accounts for 5% of the total 14.56 km of the Rec.
Aim of the intervention
The main objective of the intervention is to create the first action from the Rec Comtal Masterplan, a pilot environmental restoration project in a small area, with the intention of laying the foundations for the future renaturing of other parts. Through these interventions, the Masterplan aims to restore the canal´s historic function as a local water supply while accommodating modern needs such as irrigation, recreation and proto-industrial activities, solving the problem of degradation and the abandonment process that spoiled the image of the Rec Comtal as a residual space in danger of disappearing.
Description
As the first pilot intervention within the framework of the Rec Comtal recovery masterplan, an environmental restoration and renaturing intervention is being implemented in two points of the Vallbona neighborhood.
To restore this zone's historical significance and reestablish its role as green infrastructure, the proposal includes the planting of riverside vegetation and macrophyte species, including narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), grey willow (Salix atrocinerea), intermediate periwinkle (Vinca difformis), chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), hanging sedge (Carex pendula), roundhead bulrush (Scirpus holoschoenus), and spiny rush (Juncus acutus). The integration of these species not only enhances water quality, but also provides more shade to cool the river temperature and create a suitable habitat for newly reintroduced fish, birds, and amphibians.
Furthermore, two lightweight structures have been constructed, using corrugated profiles supported on pre-existing elements such as sewer pipes or retaining walls, to provide safe access to the water, recovering the essence of the historical bridges that worked as a meeting point for the neighbours.
Assessment
The proposed interventions have served to improve the quality and reduce the temperature of water and aquifers, increase drainage and soil quality, regulate urban microclimates and generate climatic shelters, improve local ecosystems and many more management actions that can contribute to improving the lives of citizens.
This renaturation generates the beginning of a green corridor along the Rec Comtal and at the same time, the new observation spaces act as landmarks that will be extended to other points of the Rec Comtal route in the future.