Jiloca (river)
| Jiloca | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Jalón in Calatayud |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Jalón - Ebro - Mediterranean Sea |
| River system | Ebro |
The Jiloca is a river in Aragon, Spain, a tributary of the river Jalón, and part of the watershed of the Ebro basin. The course of the river runs through the provinces of Teruel and Zaragoza. It has a length of 126 kilometres (78 mi) and an average flow rate of 0.318 cubic metres per second (11.2 cu ft/s), although this varies widely between the seasons, due to a long dry season and wet spring and autumn seasons in the Meseta Central.[1]
Geography
The Jiloca raises in the Ojos (Eyes) of Monreal, near to Monreal del Campo, Teruel. Traditionally the artesian source was thought to be the Fuente de Cella at the base of the Sierra de Albarracín, but in recent years it has been found that it is in fact an eighteenth century canal fed from Laguna de Villarquemado. From Monreal the river flows northwards and near Luco de Jiloca (Calamocha), the Jiloca is joined by its only tributary, the Pancrudo, which rises 46 kilometres (29 mi) away in the Sierra de la Costera. From this point there is an irrigation channel which waters a small valley near Daroca.
The river flows on from Daroca in a north easterly direction until it joins the Jalón at Calatayud. In the past many water-mills were powered by the river, but now only ruins of these remain. The valley of the Jiloca is an ancient route between the Central Meseta, the Ebro and the coast of the Levante. Many Roman bridges remain in the pueblos of the valley.[2]
Ecology
The Ojos de Monreal are a series of artesian wells which form pools connected by small channels. This area is rich in wildlife, including waterfowl, grebes, wrens, kingfishers, owls, orioles and woodpeckers. There are frequently visiting wildfowl from the Laguna de Gallocanta, some 23 kilometres (14 mi) away. Thickets of poplar, willow and walnut trees give plenty of shelter. The water is considered in very good condition according to the assessment of the Plan Hidrológico de la Cuenca del Ebro (Hydrological Plan of the Ebro).[3]
In 2000, the Asociación Naturalista de Aragón strongly condemned cleaning works by the regional government, which they said were sytematically destroying riparian vegetation, killing fish and upsetting the ecology of the river in the reaches between Daroca and Calatayud.[4] In November 2009, an investigation into soil erosion in the Jiloca basin was announced, with the intention of determining suitable future land use strategies.[5]
See also
References
- ^ del Valle Melendo, Javier. "El regimen pluviometrico medio de la cuenca de rio Jiloca". Geographicalia (in Spanish). 30. Zaragoza: Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio, Universidad Zaragoza: 145–154. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ "Río Jiloca" (Spanish). Centro de Cálculo de la Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ "Río Jiloca, Ojos de Monreal" (Spanish). Gobierno de Aragón. 2007. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ "Destrucción del río Jiloca" (Spanish). Asociación Cultural Aragón Interactivo y Multimedia. 2000. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ^ "Investigación sobre la erosión en toda la cuenca del Jiloca" (Spanish). La Crónica de la Comunidad de Calatayud. El Periódico. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-23.