SPAINRIVERS, LAKES

AND SEAS

THE LOCATION OF SPAINSpain is located in the south-west of Europe.

Spanish territory includes:

85% of the Iberian Peninsula

Balearic Islands

Canary Islands Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa

SPANISH COASTLINE

• Bay of Biscay (770km of coastline)

• Atlantic Ocean- Galician (442km of

coastline)

- Andalusian (294 km of coastline)

• Mediterranean Sea. (1663 km of coastline)

Spain is surrounded by water (6000 km of coastline):

STRAIT OF GIBRALTER

FRANCE

MEDITERRANEAN COAST

CANTABRIAN COASTAT

LANT

IC C

OAST

CANTABRIAN COAST

It extends from the border of France to Punta de la Estaca de Bares, in Galicia.

It is steep and rocky and has many cliffs and rias.

ATLANTIC COAST

• The Galician Coast in the north

The Atlantic Coast is divided into two areas:

•The Andalusian Coast in the south

GALICIAN ATLANTIC COAST

It extends from Punta de la Estaca de Bares to Portugal.

It is high, rocky and has many capes and rias.

ANDALUSIAN ATLANTIC COAST

It extends from Portugal to the Strait of Gibraltar.

It is low and sandy and has many beaches, salt marshes and dunes.

MEDITERRANEAN COAST

Catalan Coast: has both steep and rocky parts, and flat and sandy parts.Levante coast: is mainly flat and sandy.Andalusian Coast: has steep and rocky parts and flat, sandy parts.

It extends from the border with France to the Strait of Gibraltar.

CANARY AND BALEARIC ISLANDS

SPAIN’S WATERSHEDS

WATERSHEDS

Spain has 3 watersheds:o Cantabrian watershedo Atlantic watershedo Mediterranean

watershed

A watershed is an area of land that water flows over on its way to the sea.

Atlantic Watershed

Cantabrian Watershed

Mediterranean Watershed

CANTABRIAN WATERSHED

Their flow is regular and high due to abundant rainfall.

The rivers that flow into the Bay of Biscay are short as they start in the mountains near the coast.

ATLANTIC WATERSHED• The rivers are long and carry high volumes of

water that flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

Rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean can be divided into:

•Short with high flow due to abundant rainfall.

Galician Rivers

•Long with high but irregular flow.

Rivers that cross the Meseta

•Usually long with very low flow.

Andalusian Rivers

MEDITERRANEAN WATERSHED• Most of the rivers that carry water to the

Mediterranean Sea are short and have limited and irregluar water flow, except the Ebro.

SPAIN’S RIVERS

RIVERS OF THE

CANTABRIAN WATERSHED

NARCEA RIVER

Narcea River meets Nalon River

NALÓN RIVER

The longest river of Asturias. It has the most abundant flow

A valley through which it flows.

NALÓN RIVER, LANGREO

DEVA RIVER

Where Deva River meets the Bay of Biscay

NERVIÓN RIVER

Nervion River, by the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

BIDASOA RIVER

RIVERS OF THE ATLANTIC

WATERSHED

GALICIAN RIVERS

MIÑO RIVER

Where it meets the Atlantic Ocean

SIL RIVER CANYON

LÉREZ RIVER

TAMBRE RIVER

ULLA RIVER

Xallas River is a rare example in Europe: it dies as a waterfall when it flows into the sea.

Unfortunally, an energy company keeps the river to itself and there is almost no water in the fall. The company delights us "opening" the waterfall 2 or 3 hours on weekends and during the summer.

XALLAS RIVER

RIVERS THAT

CROSS THE MESETA

ARRIBES DEL DUERO

The Duoro river has the most abundant flow in Spain.

ALEADÁVILA DAM, SALAMANCA

(Middle course of Duoro River)

TAGUS RIVER The longest river in Spain.

TAGUS RIVER IN MONFRAGÜE NATIONAL PARK

Its course has been altered by human activity: construction of reservoirs and Tagus-Segura water-diversion system.

Its flow increases in Portugal due to rainfall.

Tagus River in Alcántara

Tagus River in Toledo

TAGUS RIVERARANJUEZ, MADRID

GUADIANA RIVER

GUADIANA RIVERIt partly flows underground “Ojos del Guadiana".

La Serena Reservoir. The biggest in Spain

Guadiana River, Medellín

ANDALUSIAN RIVERS

GUADALQUIVIR RIVER

GUADALUIVIR RIVER, CAZORLA MOUNTAIN RANGE

GUADALUIVIR ESTUARY

Guadalquivir River, Seville

RIVERS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

WATERSHED

EBRO RIVER

EBRO RIVER, ZARAGOZA

EBRO RIVER DELTA

TER RIVER

LLOBREGAT RIVER

LLOBREGAT RIVER

JÚCAR RIVER

RÍO TURIA

TURIA RIVER

TURIA RIVER

SEGURA RIVER

RÍO SEGURA

Due to the lack of water in the Southwest the Tajo-Segura water-diversion system was constructed. This affected the Tajo, Guadiana, Júcar and Segura Basins.

TAJO-SEGURA WATER-DIVERSION

SYSTEM

THE SIPHON

BOOSTER PIPING AT BOLARQUE STATION

CIGÜELA AQUEDUCT

TAJO-SEGURA WATER-DIVERSION

SYSTEM

VILLAREJO CANAL

LAKES

There are 82 karst lakes

Spanish lakes are small in comparison to European lakes.

There are 444 mountain lakes

The biggest lake in Spain is Sanabria (Zamora)

The second biggest lake is Banyoles in Gerona

LAGOONS

The largest inland lagoon of shallow saltwater is Gallocanta in Zaragoza

The second largest inland lagoon of shallow saltwater is Fuentedepiedra in Malaga.

The Mar Menor (Murcia) is the largest salt water lagoon in Europe

Albufera (Valencia) is a freshwater lagoon on the coast of Spain.

RESERVOIRS

Spain has 11 Roman dams, 2 of which are still in use.

There are over 1300 reservoirs in Spain.

ROMAN DAMS (1st-2nd century AD)

PROSERPINA DAM, BADAJOZ

CORNALVO DAM, BADAJOZ

La Serena. It’s the 3rd biggest of Europe. Found on the Guadiana Basin (1985-1990)

Alcantara on the Tajo Basin (1969)

Almendra. Duero Basin (1970)

Buendía. Tajo Basin (1957)

Mequinenza. Ebro Basin (1957-1964)

WETLANDS

There are about 637 inland freshwater wetlands

Spain is home to almost all of Europe's saline steppe wetlands.

Groundwater extraction for irrigated agriculture has almost led to the loss of the internationally important wetland of the Tablas de Damiel

marshes.

Tablas de Daimiel. Ciudad Real

Doñana (Huelva) is one of the largest and most important remaining wetlands in Europe.

In April 1998 there was an accidental spillage of toxic mining waste, which contaminated a large area of these wetlands.

THE END

“Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.”

Albert Szent-Gyorgvi (Hungarian Biochemist 1937)