La situación de las galerías drenantes en la Región de Murcia: un indicador de la calidad ambiental del territorio

Abstract

An investigation is presented on the situation of water gallery systems, of the horizontal mine type with vertical wells, in the Region of Murcia. The work is based on the hypothesis regarding the gradual deterioration of these complexes, an exponent of the hydraulic heritage generated in this territory over the centuries. The main objective is to analyze the state of these constructions and determine their current functionality. Through the fieldwork, the consultation of different sources of information such as Segura Hydrographic Confederation and the results presented by the specialized literature, the initial hypothesis is corroborated, since more than half of the water galleries are shown unused and in a state of ruin, affected by the overexploitation of aquifers and abandonment of the rural environment. However, the functional systems add an annual flow of 13 Hm³, a quite significant figure in a area with semiarid climate and scarce surface resources. These resources continue to maintain various traditional irrigation areas in a sustainable way and constitute an indicator of the environmental quality that different spaces in the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula still retain.