avocados and water

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gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Mon May 22, 2023 4:45 pm


Lyric
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Re: avocados and water

Postby Lyric » Mon May 22, 2023 11:04 pm

Great article Gav

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Tue May 23, 2023 9:02 am

for the last 10 days meteomalaga and ventusky weather sites have been forecasting thunder/lightening and heavy rain ... and what did we have here? ... nothing more than a few showers and occasional drizzle!!!

and apologies for putting that link up twice ... it was not intended ... dont know how it happened!

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Wicksey
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Re: avocados and water

Postby Wicksey » Tue May 23, 2023 9:38 am

We had rain all day yesterday, a good steady soaking which has really wet the ground now. We were in Velez on Thursday when the heavens opened and water was coming down the streets like rivers. Got home to Torrox and there'd hardly been any. Needed the heating on for the first time as well since early March last night. We were really worried that we wouldn't get any rain at all until the winter, it had been so hot and dry so far this year.

Our experiences here are the same as yours Gavilan. We lived here through the building boom times in the early 2000s, but it's started up again in this valley. There are new casitas popping up all over the place which are then doubled in size within the year. New sites for apartment blocks are also appearing on the Costa. Areas of land that have been for sale forever, suddenly springing into life. We are in an area that has been heavily planted with mangoes too. A huge hillside near us is being worked by machines, completely cleared and being terraced. As soon as they finish one area they start grubbing out the olives on another. I'm not sure where all the water required for these trees is coming from.

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Tue May 23, 2023 9:53 am

I did try writing to Seprona as they seemed to be taking seriously at last the over-planting of avocado/mango trees and illegal irrigation ... got the standard reply ...ie I would have to take out a denuncio .., but ... I have no idea of the names of farmers involved ... and even if I did, I am afraid of their revenge tactics on me and/or this place!

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Tue May 23, 2023 6:58 pm

Wicksey ... glad you got some rain ...here, have just lit the log fire ... gave up telling myself it is still May!!!

your comments about more construction work and more mango planting ... just sheer utter madness ... if authories can at last do something about illegal boreholes etc ... dont they realise/make the connection that planting mangos and building more houses need water?!!!
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/amid-dr ... se/2892612

olive
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Re: avocados and water

Postby olive » Wed May 24, 2023 9:40 am

It is a difficult situation regarding a denuncia. It doesn't matter how long we might have lived here and “ integrated”, we will always be foreigners especially in the campo. The fear of revenge is a very real one. If those using the water from the stream are stopped, they would see a reduction in income and have wasted a lot of effort and money in farming.

You have highlighted the problem by doing your online and tried to involve Seprona. You might have to accept you have tried.

It is the same with all the illegal bore holes. The solution is very very simple. Just make it a legal requirement for the drilling companies. No drilling without correct paperwork and big fine for doing so. It wouldnt address the issue of the existing illegal wells but would dramatically curtail new ones. I suspect there is no will………As I have said before, where is Hidrografia?

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Wed May 24, 2023 11:11 am

olive wrote: 'we will always be foreigners especially in the campo. The fear of revenge is a very real one.' ... and being a woman doesnt help! ... but I have also witnessed some fiery altercations between local people here eg the guy who used to own the avocado orchard next to my place ...I dont know what he had done or said ... but it upset a neighbour to the extent that said neighbour set fire to that orchard !... not a pleasant experience ... especially as the wind was blowing towards us!

re local elections 28 May ... I saw that a new Party has been formed ...looked up their website\electoral programme ... the one and only comment says it all! ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NIhQDcUGQg&t=50s

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Fri May 26, 2023 11:14 am

olive: you mentioned Hidrografia ... I havent heard of that agency ...is it part of Medio Ambiente? ... have googled but not found anything relevant ... would you have a useful link?

olive
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Re: avocados and water

Postby olive » Fri May 26, 2023 4:22 pm

It is part of the Junta de Andaluucia.. Actuualy Hidrografico.

Interesting item on Euronews website on how Spain is dealing with illegal water extraction. Worth a look

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Fri May 26, 2023 4:36 pm

thanks for that info, olive ... and have looked at Euronews article ... I feel angry at farmers greedily taking water to irrigate crops be they strawberries, olives or avocados ... but methinks ultimately it is the authorities who should be held responsible ...they have known for years what has been happening and just turned a blind eye (or did they receive back-handers to keep quiet?!) ...

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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Tue May 30, 2023 8:13 pm

update: late this afternoon I had a visit from the President de Comunidad de Regantes and his sidekick ... they informed that they had a document dating from 80 years ago which gave the farmers down the valley the rights to take water from the stream via the irrigation channel ... we walked through the adjacent avocado orchard (still being watered) to look at the dam and pipes concerned ... I asked why they could not dig out/clear the channel to let the stream flow naturally ... they said the water would evaporate if not in pipes ... but I was assured that ... the pipes would be removed when winter or rains came (I am not holding my breath!)) .. as we walked back, I pointed out the number of decaying pipes left to rot on the bank ... el Presidente assured me they would be removed ... and as we came back to this mill, el Presidente said he remembered his brother rebuilding this place! ... so I have hit the buffers, come up against a brick wall ... they have the papers which give them the right to water .... methinks there are no rights for the stream ... and all I can do is watch it being starved of water ... and dying a long slow death ... til it becomes a rio seco

Lavanda
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Re: avocados and water

Postby Lavanda » Wed May 31, 2023 6:34 pm

We have the Hidrografico lot as well, one for Cáceres province and one for Badajoz. They are supposed to be in charge of all water sources and once, 15 years ago, came to inspect where we wanted to build our house on the finca as we have a stream as a boundary. Apparently, they have 'rights' over 30m on either side of the stream but we have never seen them again.

All the problems stem from lack of rain, yes, but the EU and their subsidy mania are totally irresponsible and to blame for mountains of problems because their agricultural 'policies' are a total mess and all dependent on moving tax payers' contributions around.

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Thu Jun 01, 2023 1:31 pm

just had a quick look at the Programa Electoral video from Somos Alcaucin ... thought there might be an update as they won 2 seats on the council in recent elections ... prior to elections, there had been an interesting comment re their 'water and supply' section ... suggesting care and conservation of water should be a much greater priority ... not drilling more boreholes ... that comment seeems to have been deleted!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uDDWQi_GdI&t=43s

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Thu Jun 01, 2023 8:11 pm

and has now been reinstated ...

Lavanda
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Re: avocados and water

Postby Lavanda » Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:20 am

Maybe they read andalucia.com?

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Fri Jun 02, 2023 4:57 pm

maybe they did ... and that's enough from me ranting about water/streams etc ...

gavilan
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Re: avocados and water

Postby gavilan » Tue Jun 06, 2023 4:13 pm

ps ... I dont know why this thread has attracted attention ... some 1800+ views ... ?waiting to hear what stupid thing I do next?! ( I should have realised farmers downstream had water rights) ... anyway ... green filamentous algae is growing strongly in the 2 or 3 pools which are still surviving ...have read that if left uncontrolled they will choke/smother the pools and reduce oxygen therein ... so have been down there this afternoon trying to rake the stuff out ... no idea how often I might have to do that ... I know nothing about algae ... had wondered if the terrapins would find it good to east ...so basically I dont know if I am doing good or harm! ...?where is wildside when you need him?!

Lavanda
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Re: avocados and water

Postby Lavanda » Tue Jun 06, 2023 5:50 pm

Wildside, yes, I remember him ... where is he?

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Enrique
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Re: avocados and water

Postby Enrique » Tue Jun 06, 2023 6:03 pm

Hi,
Not a good sign....wildside not posted since September 2017.
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.


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