en Els Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park Els Aiguamolls de L'Empordà Natural Park (The A SPACE OF COEXISTENCE BETWEEN WATER, Closes, peces and feixes Marshes of L'Empordà) has an area of approximately EARTH, HUMANS AND NATURE In L'Empordà, grassland meadows typical of this 4,730 hectares, of which 825 hectares are a strict region are known as closes (enclosed areas). They are natural reserve. The Park is situated in the region of surrounded – enclosed – by drainage channels, edged L’ Alt Empordà, and consists of the following A mosaic of ecosystems that are interdependent but with riparian trees (elm, ash, poplar, alder and others). municipalities, listed here in order of protected also very different: They are situated in the beds of the old lakes, and area: Castelló d'Empúries (57.4%), Sant Pere therefore flood in times of heavy rain. Pescador (12.8%), Palau-saverdera (10.2%), Sea Other fields and pastures of this type, long and Peralada (8.9%), Pau (4.7%), Pedret i Marzà (2.6%), On the edges of the Natural Park is an area of narrow, enclosed by tamarisk bushes, are given the L'Escala (2.1%), Roses (1.1%) and L'Armentera relatively calm, sandy-bottomed marine waters. The name of peces or feixes. (0.2%). The objective of the declaration of this area as bay of Roses is sheltered even from strong north a natural park is two-fold: on the one hand, to winds. Nevertheless, the east winds strike the coastal Freshwater lakes and marshes protect, improve and boost the natural systems, edge of the Park with force. These are the remains of the old lake at Castelló, and and on the other, to make conservation compatible the most emblematic is the lake at Vilaüt. Its inland with the area's economic development. Coastal beaches and sands location, far from the sea, means that the water is These are present around the whole coastline of the entirely fresh, and the vegetation is especially adapted Park, and are the only remaining virgin beaches on the to cope with immersion, flooding and high humidity, AN AREA UNDER HEAVY HUMAN PRESSURE Costa Brava. In fact, the extended southern edge of depending on the depth of the water.The Natural Park territory included in the Park, following the beach, is has promoted the recovery and creation of new lakes, intended to preserve a fully representative example of such as the lake in El Cortalet or the Europa lakes. The region of L'Alt Empordà has approximately this type of habitat. 100,000 inhabitants. In some of the Park's municipalities, the population can increase fourfold in Lagoons and salt-loving plant life summer. One example of the pressure from humans The salty coastal lagoons, known locally as llaunes, are are the Natural Park's beaches, which in summer can located directly behind the beach, between the be visited by some 23,000 people a day. mouths of the rivers La Muga and El Fluvià. The Cover: Aerial view of the Les Llaunes Strict Nature Reserve Over 80% of the Park's area is private property and vegetation surrounding the lagoons, consisting of low- Photo: Santi Font within the Natural Park's limits is the most important growing plants adapted to the salinity of the soil, such residential marina in Europe, Empuriabrava, with as glasswort and rushes, is known in the area as Previous page: Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Photo: Masses Pery 30km of navigable canals. salsura, which means preserved with salt. 3 1 2 4 5 6 Rivers, watercourses and irrigation channels found integrated into the landscape and offer shelter are included in the PEIN (Plan for Areas of Natural The birds are the main faunal attraction of the Park. in 1989 and 1991, the population has recovered and teal (Anas crecca) and the northern shoveler (Anas Besides La Muga and El Fluvià, the Park's two main to the wild flora and fauna. Interest). Up to now, 329 species of bird have been sighted, of currently stands at some 30-40 nesting pairs. clypeata). The cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), the rivers, in the marshes there is also an extensive which 82 species nest here on a regular basis. Species During migration periods (February-June and July- grey heron (Ardea cinerea), the coot (Fulica atra), the network of waterways and irrigation channels. The HISTORICAL HERITAGE HUMAN ACTIVITY associated with aquatic environments are the most October), thousands of birds use these marshes as a lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), the common snipe vegetation on their banks is of obvious botanical and representative and the most plentiful. place of rest and feeding, especially during the Spring (Gallinago gallinago), the curlew (Numenius arquata), faunal interest. The Isle of Caramany Strict Reserve, Among the most numerous nesting birds we have the and when the north wind blows. During the second the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), the covering 5.6 hectares, situated in the river Fluvià, has The Aiguamolls de L'Empordà in the past occupied Human activity in the Park is an important force, mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), the moorhen (Gallinula two weeks of April and the first days of May is when European penduline tit (Remiz pendulinus) and the a riparian wood that is evolving entirely naturally. almost all the plain of the bay of Roses and the lower due both to the tourist industry that it brings and to chloropus), the blue-headed wagtail (Motacilla flava) the largest number of species can be seen. Among the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) are also Ter river. The Montgrí massif was set away from the farming activities. and the reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus). In most representative migratory birds there are, among abundant. Among the water fowl present in the Bay of Crops waters, and when the Greeks settled here, they did so Since irrigation came into use here, the crops grown in lower numbers, there are also nests of the little grebe others, the squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides), the Roses are the black-throated diver (Gavia arctica), the These occupy a high percentage of the Park's area. on an island between the former mouths of the rivers the Park have changed. Cultivation was originally of (Tachybaptus ruficollis), the great bittern (Botaurus glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), the flamingo great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), the Balearic From winter cereals (barley, wheat) and alfalfa, there Fluvià and Ter, where they later founded Empúries. The winter crops, and this has changed to maize, sorghum, stellaris), the little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), the (Phoenicopterus ruber), the garganey (Anas has been a shift towards maize, sorghum, sunflowers extensive marshland gradually disappeared, due sunflowers and fruit trees, which are good wintering purple heron (Ardea purpurea), the gadwall (Anas querquedula), the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), the red- and fruit trees. The rice crop, recovered with the mainly to the expansion of agriculture. The wide places for insectivorous birds and for thrushes, due to strepera), the marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), the footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), the little crake creation of the Natural Park, is without doubt the best Castelló Lake, with its three islands, and the lakes of the abundance of fruit on the ground. coot (Fulica atra), the black-winged stilt (Himantopus (Porzana parva), the collared pratincole (Glareola suited to the marshy nature of the land in the region Siurana, Vilacolum, Riumors, Bellcaire, Ullastret and The rice fields are undoubtedly the cultivated land that himantopus), the Kentish plover (Charadrius pratincola), the marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), 1 Mas del Matà Observatory of El Baix Empordà. Pals are now also part of history. is most beneficial to water fowl. There are currently alexandrinus), the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), the roller the Adouin's gull (Larus audouinii), the white-winged Photo: Archives of the Natural Park The construction of tourist facilities was another some 150 hectares of cultivated rice paddies, for the (Coracias garrulus), the lesser spotted woodpecker tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) and the red-throated Rough lands degradation factor. Extensive areas disappeared and most part cultivated without pesticides, which are kept (Dendrocopos minor), the moustached warbler pipit (Anthus cervinus). The wader group deserves a 2 European roller (Coracias garrulus) Situated between the plain and the neighbouring were turned into housing developments. This would flooded even outside the growing season in order to (Acrocephalus melanopogon) and the great reed special mention, as up to 32 different species are seen Photo: Antoni López Serra de Verdera mountain range, in the north east, have continued were it not for the campaign that encourage the presence of water fowl. warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). The garganey regularly, some of the most numerous being the little- these occupy slightly sloping ground. They are began in 1976 with the slogan "The last marshes of (Anas querquedula), known locally as the roncaire ringed plover (Charadrius dubius), the little stint 3 Little egret (Egretta garzetta) Photo: Richard Martín covered in non-irrigated crops (such as vines), L'Empordà, under threat", which aimed to raise public (snoring duck), and the lesser grey shrike (Lanius (Calidris minuta), the ruff (Philomachus pugnax), the scrubland and pastures, groves of cork oaks, Holm awareness of the importance of the lakes and their minor) - two of the Park's most emblematic species - common redshank (Tringa totanus) and the wood FAUNA 4 Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) oaks and other types of oak, and also groves of pines value as a nature reserve. last reared young here in 1997 and 2001, respectively. sandpiper (Tringa glareola). Photo: Tono Folguera in some areas such as La Torre del Vent, the highest It was in 1983 that the Parliament of Catalonia finally The white stork (Ciconia ciconia), which had nested In winter these marshes, like the Bay of Roses, are point in the Park.