On 14 and 15 February 2026, irrigation channels will be restored in the district of El Daimuz in Oria, in the province of Almería. The activity is organised by MEMOLab UGR in collaboration with Oria Town Council, the Oria Verde Association, the Las Tierras Nuevas Irrigation Community and the Association of Historic and Traditional Communities of Andalusia.
The intervention will enable the restoration of two historic irrigation channels that are supplied by the Balsa de las Tierras Nuevas reservoir, managed by the Irrigation Community of the same name, made up of ten community members. The reservoir is located in the Balsa Vieja ravine and, from this main infrastructure, the water is distributed through two channels that run along both sides of the ravine. This area has been abandoned for around 35 years, so its restoration will be key to restoring the value of a landscape with significant cultural, historical, agricultural and environmental importance. More than seventy volunteers with different profiles and interests will participate in the initiative.
This system forms part of the Rambla de Oria meadow which stretches from Boca de Oria to the municipality of Albox. Along this stretch, a large area of traditional irrigation land has been preserved, based on historical systems that collect water from springs and ponds. Throughout the riverbed there are various springs used to irrigate the different plots that make up the fertile plain. Each reservoir can irrigate several plots, distributing the flow evenly in batches according to the area to be irrigated.
This activity is part of the MEMOLab UGR initiatives to recover and enhance the value of historical irrigation systems, as well as to support local irrigation communities.
