Line of action:

Urban environments

Status:

En ejecución

Location:

Fraga, Huesca (Aragon)

Execution date:

2022

Duration:

01/10/2022 - 30/09/2025

Total budget:

€3,742,145.92

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

€3,555,038.62

Coordinating entity:

Fraga City Council

Fraga is a municipality of 15,250 inhabitants in Huesca, whose urban nucleus is located next to the Cinca riverbed, the Historic Center on the slopes of the river valley on the left bank and the expansion area or neighborhood of ‘Las Afueras’ in the floodplain of the right bank, most of the second being in the preferential flow zone and in the flood zone for the return period of 500 years. it is also where the largest number of homes, public facilities and commercial establishments in the city are concentrated, which, in the event of flooding, would suffer serious material damage, as happened for the last time in November 1982 and as shown by the ‘Pilot case of resilience of the urban centre of Fraga’ of the ‘Guide for adaptation to flood risk’, published by MITECO in November 2019.

The course of the Cinca river as it passes through the neighbouring municipalities of Fraga and Velilla de Cinca has motes of protection against the risk of flooding, which were erected in the years 1983-1984 and which offer protection for a return period of close to 100 years along its entire length, except at the beginning of the upstream motte in the municipality of Velilla de Cinca. where an existing concrete wall of just 120 ml. in length is overflowed by floods with an estimated return period of 30 years, which if necessary would lead to the flooding of most of the ‘Las Afueras’ neighbourhood of the urban centre of Fraga, located 11 km downstream, as can be seen in the hazard maps of the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation.

Since the entry into force of Royal Decree 638/2016, the City Council of Fraga has promoted the preparation of various Hydraulic Studies evaluating various alternatives to reduce the risk of flooding, which have been presented to the CHE, which has led to the inclusion of the protection actions included in this proposal in the 2nd cycle of the PGRI of the Ebro basin.

In relation to the state of the river ecosystem of the Cinca River, it should be said that most of the riparian forest has a deficient ecological status, with the abundant presence of allochthonous reeds (Arundo Donax) and with areas degraded by the presence of spills and debris, which in addition to the ecological damages, motivates the citizens of Fraga not to appreciate, nor do they enjoy the great environmental and recreational values offered by the river ecosystem.

CINCA REVIVE pursues a substantial and prolonged improvement of the biological quality and morphological conditions of the river ecosystem through the implementation of interdependent actions, which seek to protect the city from the risk of flooding, while recovering areas of wetlands and riparian forests. The project will also allow the connection of the urban environment with the rural environment through natural paths and the increase of green areas accessible to citizens.

Some of the actions contemplated in this project are:

• Removal of the river space of the old inert waste dump and transfer to the municipal landfill of Sedases.
• Setback of the motte and creation of a new floodplain on the right bank to the south of the urban centre of Fraga.
• Consolidation of wetland and recreation of ancient morphology

Fluvial (‘Meander del Cinca’ natural area).

• Conditioning of the riverside forest on the left bank of the urban environment (‘La Badina’ natural route).
• Restoration of the riverside forest and recovery of an old branch of the riverbed on the south left bank.
• Restoration of the riverside forest on the right bank to the north of the town centre (‘Estación de Aforo’ nature route).