TECHNICAL REPORT:

UNIQUES TASKS OF BIOTOPE MANAGEMENT IN THE “CHÍCAMO” RIVER WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE LIFE04/NAT/SE/000035 PROJECT: “CONSERVATION OF iberus´ GENETICS STOCKS (MURCIA)”

Región de Murcia Consejería de Desarrollo Sostenible y Ordenación del Territorio Dirección General de Medio Natural Servicio de Ordenación y Gestión de los Recursos Naturales.

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION...... 3

1.1. Spanish toothcarp ...... 3

1.2. The river Chícamo...... 3

2. ELIMINATION OF SPECIFIC IMPACTS IN THE CHICAMO RIVER’S SOURCE4

2.1. Construction of a water faucet...... 5

2.2. Construction of two small bridges...... 6

3. HABITAT’S INCREASE IN THE CHÍCAMO RIVER’S SOURCE...... 7

3.1. Maintenance of the existing ...... 8

3.2. Construction of new ponds...... 9

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UNIQUES TASKS OF BIOTOPE MANAGEMENT IN THE “CHÍCAMO” RIVER WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE LIFE04/NAT/ES/000035 PROJECT.

1. INTRODUCTION.

1.1. Spanish toothcarp

The object of this Project, Aphanius iberus (Spanish toothcarp), is a fish that belongs to the Family of Cyprinodonts. It lives in different places, with little current and depth, as swamps, coastal lagoons, saltworks and lowland water bodies.

Spanish toothcarp is an endemism of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, Murcian Region included. Nowadays it is listed as “Endangered” by regional (7/1995) and national (RD 439/1990) laws and a protected species in a European (Habitat Directive 92/43/CEE, Annex II) and international level (Bern Convention, 1988)

Main threats to Aphanius iberus populations are: the exclusiveness and the isolating of both, the Chícamo River and Marchamalo salt works’ populations, the poor available habitat, hydric management without keeping in mind the presence of Spanish toothcarp, the biological pollution due to exotic invasive alien species which are competitors and change habitat conditions, the anthropic pressure, a low number of stocks are kept in captivity, shortage of control on potential captivity populations, a low number of individuals to do translocations and/or new population’s reconstitution, shortage of make society aware about the species and insufficient specific formation about this species’ management.

1.2. The Chícamo River

It is located within the SCI (Site of the Communitary Importance) of the Chícamo River. There are 8 habitats of communitarian interest. It is a permanent flow river stretch with related temporary watercourses and wetlands. You can find different community

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In terms of fauna, stands out Spanish toothcarp (Aphanius iberus), the only presence of this species in continental courses in Murcian Region, and the invertebrate Coenagrion mercuriale (Southern Damselfly), both including on Annex II of Directive 92/43/CEE; as well as Himantopus himantopus (Black-winged Stilt), included on Annex I of Directive 79/409/CEE.

The Chícamo River population is, possibly, the most endangered in the Murcian Region, due to this fact, this population is completely isolated of the other populations. With the increase of habitat, a population’s rise and the existence of the species in different points of the river bed have been promoted, avoiding the extinction of this population if a specific impact occurs (when this population was discovered, in 1998, lives only in one ).

The objective of the actions that have been done in this area is, resides the increase of available habitat to the species, eliminate the specific impacts that exist in the zone, mainly related with inadequate rural uses as for example agricultural dumps, detergents, etc...

2. ELIMINATION OF SPECIFIC IMPACTS IN THE CHICAMO RIVER’S SOURCE

With these actions it has tried to eliminate (or to reduce in the major possible measurement) the punctual impacts that can take place in this zone. For it, a water faucet, to avoid some farm machinery takes water inside the pond, have been constructed. With this measurement one tries to avoid the entry of vehicles to the river bed and the potential spill of substances (phytosanitary products, detergents,...) that may end with the existing population.

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Besides, two small bridges have been constructed in order to divert the paths which used to go through the river bed, avoiding that vehicles cross the river bed and, also, the potential spills that the cars can carry out.

2.1. Construction of a water faucet.

For the construction of this water faucet has been used and restored existing structures in the area, in order to reduce the visual impact of the actions.

The purpose of this water faucet is to avoid the entry of farm machinery to the main pond, where the thickness of this Aphanius iberus’ population is located. For the installation of the mentioned water faucet, we have taken advantage of part of a former water channel, which was taking water of the river up to a nearby mill.

Once the channel were clean, there was installed a prefabricated channel, inside the other one, to avoid any loss of water for the former ditch, installing a gap in the zone where the water of the river is taken, to open it when someone wants to take water.

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At the end of the water channel, other tap has been installed to allow the filling of the vats. Due to the fact that the height in this zone was not sufficient for a filling of the vats for gravity, the level of the soil was reduced until the water capture reached the wished height (depending on the type of the most frequent vats in the zone).

2.2. Construction of two small bridges.

To avoid vehicles cross through the river bed, two small bridges have been constructed. Besides, some parts of the ways have been turned aside, so that the layout of has such not been harmed by the positioning of the mentioned bridges.

At the same time, in parts of the paths which cross the river bed, where those were turned aside, new ponds were created, so this actions is close related with the increase of habitat.

Bridge’s construction (upriver of the main pond, in the river source)

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Second bridge (downriver)

It can be observed that next to the bridge, calm and brief zones of waters have been created (optimal habitat for Spanish toothcarp).

3. HABITAT’S INCREASE IN THE CHÍCAMO RIVER’S SOURCE

New ponds have been created. Besides, the existing ponds were cleaned and made larger. Using a backhoe and living the final touches by hand, due to the delicate of the works in this zone, the effective habitat to the Spanish toothcarp has been increased through calm and brief zones (refuge-habitat) which are perfect to this species and low in number in a natural way into the Chícamo River.

The effectiveness of this action is immediate, because of new ponds can be settled on by the species, having been observed, in fact, individuals in some of the new pools.

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3.1. Maintenance of the existing ponds.

Existing ponds had cleaned and conditioned, between the main one (pre-existing pond) as much as the ponds created in other projects before this one.

3.1.1. Enlargement of the main pond

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3.1.2. Existing ponds’ cleaning.

The excess of vegetation inside the pond has been eliminated, as well as greater depth has occurred same (approximately about to a 75 cm, to avoid its fast mud’s filling) but considering the depth rank in which it inhabits the Spanish toothcarp.

3.2. Construction of new ponds.

This part of the performances of increase of habitat has been made related closely to the construction of the bridges (actions of elimination of precise impacts) since for the construction of some of new ponds the paths and the zones near the place have taken advantage of parts where the bridges have been constructed.

3.2.1. Source area.

A path crossing through the river bed was used for construction of a new pond. This pond can be observed from different angles in the following images.

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3.2.2. Area of La Umbría reservoir.

The Chícamo river bed, downriver of La Umbría reservoir was ducted for agricultural aims until 2005. From that moment on, the River flows for its natural river bed (naturalized stream). Because this circumstance, the actions planned to this area changed from the moment when were proposed until it was done. In this manner, the new environmental context made part of the actions were redefined, and instead cemented channels, naturalized habitat-refuges were constructed. This is because the following reasons: ¾ The main, consisting of threat the non-existence and/or shortage of susceptible habitats to lodge stocks of the species in the sector of the channel affected by conduction, has been diminished due to the mentioned naturalization.

¾ In the past context, the construction of channels caused a moderate impact in a sector of channel affected by conduction. At the moment, in concrete sections of the sector, the accomplishment of such would entail

significant a visual impact due to the undergone naturalization.

In the following images the zone can be observed before the accomplishment of ponds and how it is at the present time.

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New pond, built in La Umbría reservoir (upwards).

New pond, constructed downriver of the previous pond.

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