Galaxes Weir, Portugal

Galaxes Weir demolition, the first NGO-led barrier removal in Portugal

The River Odeleite
The River Odeleite, also known as Ribeira de Odeleite, is a tributary of the Guadiana River, located in the Algarve region in southern Portugal (Figures 1-2). It partially lies within the Caldeirão Site of Community Importance (SCI) and is located close to a protected area and a Ramsar site. The river is approximately 65 km long, originating in the Serra do Caldeirão, a mountain in the Algarve region, and flows into the River Guadiana, near the town of Castro Marim. The upper reaches of the river are characterized by hilly terrain and Mediterranean vegetation. As it flows southeast, it traverses agricultural lands and small villages. Near its confluence with the River Guadiana, the landscape features broader valleys and the Odeleite Reservoir. The reservoir is also known as the “Blue Dragon River”, due to its serpentine shape when viewed from above. This reservoir is a crucial water source for the arid Algarve region, supporting irrigation and water supply. The River Guadiana has several other tributaries, including the Foupana, Vascão and Beliche rivers. The latter has a reservoir, formed by the Beliche Dam, which is used to manage water resources in the region (irrigation and water supply). The River Guadiana landscape is characterized by typical Mediterranean vegetation, including cork oak forests, olive groves, and shrubland.

Figure 1. Odeleite and Guadiana River basins and location of the Galaxes Weir

The River Odeleite hosts numerous bird species and iconic mammals, such as the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) and the otter (Lutra lutra). It also supports a variety of native fish species, including one of the few remaining populations of the ‘Saramugo’ (Anaecypris hispanica), which is the most endangered non-migratory fish species in Portuguese freshwaters. The Saramugo is endemic to the Guadiana River basin and is the only living species of the genus Anaecypris. Although there are no current records of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), this migratory fish was previously part of the river’s biodiversity and is still used in local gastronomy. Thus, it is likely that a small population of the species still inhabits the river.

The Galaxes Weir
The Galaxes Weir (Figure 2) was a concrete structure owned by the Municipality of Alcoutim. Built between 2011 and 2012, it was intended to serve as a reservoir for irrigation to cope with droughts in this arid inland part of the Algarve (Figure 1). However, it never fulfilled its purpose, became obsolete and had been impacting fish movements ever since.

Figure 2. The Galaxes Weir © ANP|WWF

In Portugal the water authority that issues permits for barrier removals is the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). The owners of the land where a barrier is located also need to provide their authorization for a removal. Despite several public announcements and the creation of a task force in 2015 to identify and remove obsolete river infrastructures, the Portuguese government has been slow to act, resulting in significant delays in removing obsolete river barriers compared to neighboring Spain. For example, in 2021, Spain removed 108 barriers while Portugal removed only one. Similarly, in 2023, Spain removed 95 barriers, whereas Portugal removed only two. This delay in Portugal can be attributed to the absence of a law similar to that in Spain, which obliges owners to pay for the maintenance or removal of barriers. Additionally, there is a lack of public and private funding, and political will. Furthermore, the common belief that barriers are beneficial for water retention and thus help combat droughts in arid regions hinders the progress of the barrier removal movement in the country.

Dam removal
The removal of the Galaxes Weir was executed by ANP|WWF (Figure 3, Video 1), a non-profit NGO operating in Portugal with the mission of promoting the conservation of national biodiversity and forest ecosystems, protecting marine biodiversity, promoting fisheries sustainability, and conserving freshwater ecosystems and their water resources. Currently, ANP|WWF has more than twenty active projects and has successfully executed a wide range of conservation projects in partnership with numerous local, European, and international partners. Within its program on removing obsolete river barriers – which in turn is within the Living European Rivers initiative – ANP|WWF selected the Galaxes Weir to be removed to restore the connectivity of 7.7 km of river course. A study by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) inventoried three obsolete river barriers along the Odeleite, one of which is the Galaxes Weir.

Figure 3. Catarina Grilo and Lorenzo Quaglietta from ANP|WWF on the 1st day of the Galaxes Weir demolition works in March 2023 © ANP|WWF

Video 1. Initiation of removal works of Galaxes Weir in March 2023 © ANP|WWF

In March 2022, funds for the removal of the Galaxes Weir were granted by the European Open Rivers Programme (EORP). In February 2023, sediment sampling surveys were conducted at the weir site (Figure 4). Ichthyological surveys were also conducted in the pools immediately upstream and downstream of the Galaxes Weir prior to its removal (Figure 5).

Figure 4. Sediment sampling surveys at the Galaxes Weir site in February 2023 © Rafael Braz

Figure 5. Ichthyological survey at the Galaxes Weir site prior to its removal © Lorenzo Quaglietta

After a long process involving stakeholder engagement, bureaucratic procedures, and several meetings to overcome local resistance, the weir removal began a year later, on March 27, 2023, marking the first-ever removal by an NGO in Portugal (Figure 6, Video 2). After a pause due to increased water levels, the final iron structures of the weir were removed in July 2023 (Figure 7).

Figure 6. Removal works of Galaxes Weir in March 2023 © ANP|WWF

Video 2. Removal works of Galaxes Weir in March 2023 © ANP|WWF

Figure 7. The removal site after the demolition of the Galaxes Weir in August 2023 ©Lorenzo Quaglietta

The project had a budget of €50,850. Of this amount, EORP secured funding of €40,000, covering 79% of the budget, while the remaining €10,850 were secured by the World Fish Migration Foundation (WFMF), which contributed financially but also secured co-funding from several donors, including NNEK, Bouwmarkt Schoonoord, Forest Peace Foundation, and the Dutch Postcode Lottery.

Before the removal, a public session was held at the weir’s location to inform the local community about the benefits of the project (Figure 8). Four inhabitants (out of a population of approximately twelve) participated in the discussion on the pros and cons of the removal. Additionally, the project’s objectives and benefits were highlighted in an informative flyer attached to a local notice board.

Figure 8. Flyer about the local community engagement session held at the Galaxes Weir site before its removal on April 28, 2022 © ANP|WWF

Challenges
The main challenges regarding barrier removal in Portugal stem from a lack of willingness from owners and society, driven by the belief that such structures retain water locally and help combat droughts. Additionally, there is a lack of political will and of funding. ANP|WWF chose the Galaxes Weir to be removed as it was a “low-hanging fruit”, meaning a relatively easy to remove barrier, since it was obsolete and belonged to a Municipality willing to collaborate and allow the removal. Nonetheless, challenges arose due to the project’s novelty, encountering a lack of knowledge and political reluctance. Portuguese bureaucracies contributed to substantial delays in licensing, compounded by the arid nature of southern Portugal, where opposition to barrier removals is strong.

Success hinged on the persistence by the project team, navigating obstacles through continued efforts, including meetings with the Municipality and the opposition party lobbying against the removal. ANP|WWF efforts established a precedent for future civic barrier removals in the country, strengthening relationships with key national authorities, such as APA and ICNF.

The demolition works ran smoothly, with no known impacts on the environment nor subsequent claims from the local community. However, the local contractor hired to execute the removal was not used to working with machinery underwater and with strong water flow, and that was a challenge that needed to be overcome. As a result, the demolition works had to pause after the main (visible) part of the weir had been removed and were only resumed and completed during the following summer, when there was no water in the river, making operations easier (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Lack of water at the Galaxes Weir site in August 2023 ©Lorenzo Quaglietta

A final lesson, from this project was the recognition of the importance of organizing sensibilization campaigns before such barrier removals, of maintaining a continuous dialogue with the stakeholders involved and of ensuring efficient communication throughout the process.

Ecological and community benefits
This restoration project is expected to boost the conservation efforts for local fish populations, especially the Saramugo and the eel, as well as for several species of riverine birds and iconic mammals, such as the otter and the Iberian lynx.

Importantly, this first NGO-led barrier removal in Portugal changed the status quo view of barrier removals among decision-makers in the country, spearheading the movement and paving the way for further demolitions in this catchment (such as the Vascão stream, a Ramsar site which once hosted at least 10% of the Saramugo population) and in the rest of the country as well. Although the removal is recent, it is expected to boost the interest for recreational and other traditional activities in the area and to attract visitors from the local community, as well as tourists and fishermen. This, in turn, could contribute to the local economy’s growth and help develop tourism associated with the nearby Natural Park of Guadiana Valley, as well as coastal tourist resorts in the Algarve. Post-removal fish sampling survey was also scheduled for July 2024.

To enhance barrier removal advocacy, several tools were developed, including a pop-up book on barrier removal (Figure 10), a River Restoration Policy Brief (in Portuguese), a petition appealing to the government to prioritize river restoration and barrier removal, and a memory card game specifically designed to raise awareness about fish, riparian species, and free-flowing rivers. An environmental education session was also held at a local school, and the relationship with the Alcoutim Municipality was strengthened.

Figure 10. Pop-up book illustrating the benefits of restoring the river continuity by removing a river barrier © Lorenzo Quaglietta (illustration, design and construction © Gabriela Romagna)

Efforts are underway to secure new funding, which would allow continued monitoring of the effects of the Galaxes weir removal and potentially enable further removals on the same river and its tributaries, the Foupana and Vascão rivers.

Before & After photo pair

The removal site at: (left) before and (right) after the demolition of the Galaxes Weir © ANP|WWF

With many thanks to ANP|WWF for providing the information and the visuals presented herein.

Prepared by Foivos A. Mouchlianitis