In October 2018, river restoration work began on the Safareja stream at SCI Moura-Barrancos (one of the Project's 3 intervention areas). This intervention covered a section of river about 600 meters where there is a catch with records of occurrence of saramugo and there was a high siltation of the bed, a high degree of erosion of the banks and consequently a deficit of riparian vegetation.
The work took place in three phases. In a first phase, the riverside bed was cleared in places where there was a greater clogging. The first place to be intervened was the one where the existence of saramugos was known. In order to avoid fish mortality, the fish were first caught, and the Cobitis paludica, Iberochondrostoma lemmingii, Squalius alburnoides and some 4,500 saramugos were safeguarded, which were returned to the catch after sediment removal. In total and using heavy machinery about 3,000m3 of fine sediment and gravel were removed. This operation is expected to increase the availability of water in the most critical period of the year for fish, the summer.
The sediments removed were in turn used to re-profile slopes along the intervention section. For its stabilization, the second phase of the work began, which consisted of the execution of a natural engineering technique: braided with live willow branches. In total the braid extends for about 900 linear meters on both sides, and will allow the formation of a soil containment network immediately minimizing the loss of sediment to the bed and possible small earth movements.
Finally, the works of renaturalization of the riverside gallery began, with the use of native plantations of shrubs and trees. This 3rd phase of the intervention began with the onset of winter, in the full vegetative period of the plants. In total, it was possible to place about a thousand plant specimens on both recovery margins. Over time this vegetation will enhance the stability of the banks and increase the shading of the watercourse, as well as improve water quality and promote shelters for native fish fauna.
This integrated intervention has enabled us to address various problems resulting from various cumulative impacts through different practical conservation measures. As a medium-term result, it is expected to improve the basic conditions for the formation of fish habitats in the extension of the intervened stream, with direct consequences on the saramugo population situation, and other native fish, which depend on this habitat type to survive.
