Life Canal de Castilla

Presentation

The historical and architectural values of the Canal de Castilla are extremely attractive. Nonetheless, the Canal’s environmental value, although much less known, is no less important. The ecological significance of the Canal lies mainly in its thickets and wetlands. The riparian forests found along sections of the Canal de Castilla are among the best conserved in the province of Palencia, and the rosary of almost 40 marsh wetlands bordering the canal is one of the best conserved marsh ecosystems in northern Spain. These environmental strengths are the reason why the "Canal de Castilla´s Wetlands" have been declared a Special Protection Area for Birds and a Special Conservation Area, as well as part of the Natura 2000 Network.

Unfortunately, the conservation status of these ecosystems is not good. The way the forests and ponds are strung out along the canal makes conservation and management work difficult because the small areas that make up the system are much more vulnerable. For example, some of these small wetlands have an area of no more than 2.5 acres (1 hectare).

The LIFE Programme is a perfect intervention tool for such cases due to its underlying philosophy. There is good knowledge of the biocoenosis  in the space, the problems that afflict it and possible solutions. Finally, many of the actions that have been planned are innovative and they can be extrapolated to offer new solutions for other natural spaces with similar problems.