Water level at Algarve dams believed to have increased from 36% to 43%
Last week’s rainfall was a godsend for the Algarve, having reportedly brought the region as much water as was expected for the entire year.
According to SIC Notícias, the water level at regional dams is believed to have increased from 36% to 43%, although the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is still calculating the true gains.
The Bravura dam in Lagos is believed to have collected around 2.5 million cubic metres of water thanks to the rain that has fallen in the area recently – practically the same amount of water it had stored when it reached a new low in October 2023. The reservoir is now at 20% of its capacity, a level it hadn’t reached since 2021, reports SIC Notícias. The situation is only expected to improve, as April is due to bring even more rainfall to the region.
Taking the entire Algarve into account, March’s rainfall is believed to have provided over 25 million cubic metres of desperately needed water to the region’s dams, which accounts for around one third of the region’s yearly urban consumption and more than double the amount that the future desalination plant in Albufeira is expected to provide.
The Odelouca dam in Monchique is believed to have already surpassed the 40% mark, while the Odeleite and Beliche dams in the Eastern Algarve are nearing half of their capacity. Significant gains were also registered at the Funcho reservoir in Silves, where the recent rainfall is believed to have provided an extra five million cubic metres, bringing its water level to the 58% mark.
The recent downpours have also almost filled Western Europe’s biggest artificial lake, Alqueva, in the Alentejo, which is just one metre below its maximum capacity. Says SIC Notícias, the reservoir hasn’t had such a high level since 2014.
A source from APA has stressed that it is still too early to declare victory over drought, although authorities are keeping a close eye on weather forecasts for the rest of April and possibly May.
The committee tasked with following the Algarve’s extreme drought is due to meet soon in Faro, and some of the restrictions that have been imposed on the region may be reevaluated, SIC Notícias adds.
