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New groundwater network aims to protect Mar Menor as nutrient-laden water pours in
More than 10 cubic hectometres of nutrient-rich water have flowed into the Mar Menor this year
The Mar Menor is under growing pressure from rising groundwater and polluted run-off, and the regional government has just finished upgrading the network used to keep track of it.
Groundwater levels beneath the lagoon have been unusually high over the past year, which means more water, and more pollution, is flowing from the aquifer into the Mar Menor. On top of that, over 10 cubic hectometres of nutrient-laden water has poured into the lagoon through the El Albujón ravine this year alone, more than double last year's amount.
To help tackle the problem, the regional government has upgraded 19 monitoring points across San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Los Alcázares and Cartagena, repairing damaged equipment and improving how the network tracks groundwater levels.
Councillor Juan María Vázquez said the improved network would give scientists better, more reliable data to understand what's happening beneath the lagoon and to help guide decisions on how to protect it.
He also called on the Spanish government to take further action to help ease the pressure on the lagoon's ecosystem, describing the Mar Menor as one of the most closely monitored ecosystems in the world.
"The Mar Menor requires constant monitoring and management based on data, not impressions," he said.
Image: CARM
