]> 2026-04-20T02:06:13+00:00 Case study:Inturia dam removal 500 en A link on the Wetlands International website to a document that describes the project. All information on this page is copied from the document mentioned above which is written by Ecohidráulica, S.L. Approved Dam removal Creation of solid flow regime The first two stages of the Inturia dam removal were carried out within the scope of the Guratrans project (EFA221/11) while the following two were carried out within the scope of the LIFE Irekibai project (LIFE 14 NAT/ES/00186). No No Yes false No It is considered that the proposal of removal in different stage is adequate and it seems correct to apply this methodology in actions of similar characteristics. 43.1195521,-1.9404761000001 Rincón Sanz Gonzalo 4 1 - 10 m³/s Dam removal,,,Creation of solid flow regime ,,Creation of a path alongside the river, Creation of viewpoint with photos and data of the dam removal, A monitoring process was developed before the first stage of the removal. Bathymetries were first performed in the reservoir to determine the amount of sediment accumulated. Two geomorphological monitoring reports were made. The first one, carried out in 2013, was a morphological characterization in the study section (upstream and downstream of the dam) prior to the first stage of the removal. Following the first stage, two monitoring campaigns were carried out (September 2013 and April-June 2014). Besides, a second monitoring campaign was conducted after the second stage of the removal. The monitoring process determines that a movement of the sediments is observed after each phase of action, depending on the flow rate of that year. The amount of sediment mobilized after the first stages of the removal is higher than the sediments mobilized prior to the removal of the dam. It can also be concluded that water quality has not been altered after the first stages of the removal. Habitat and species studies were also conducted because the Inturia dam is an impassable obstacle to the movement of fish. The fish community in the Leitzaran River is: Brown trout (Salmo trutta), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), barbel (Luciobarbus graellsii), Adour minnow (Phoxinus bigerri) and eel (Anguilla anguilla). Trout is considered a good indicator in this river. Within the monitoring process, a 3 km long reach (2 km upstream and 1 km downstream) was monitored by placing 11 sample points in which it was possible to verify the evaluation of the river by taking images at different moments of the year. Monitoring has been carried out after the fourth stage of the removal as well, but this data is not yet available. It is considered that the proposal of removal in different stage is adequate and it seems correct to apply this methodology in actions of similar characteristics. It is also considered adequate to leave a period of time between each stage of the removal so that the sediments can be exported through the river by means of the floods. Working in stages also avoids impacts on ecosystems. The fish populations of the Leitzaran River have endured well the works. 23393 Stages of the Inturia dam Removal. The image shows the comparison with the initial state and the results of the first two stages of the project and also the reduced height in each year. Photo credits: Irekia. 2016-01-01Z 2457388.5 Inturia.png 2013-08-01Z 2456505.5 Complete The Inturia dam was removed in four stages due to the size of its infrastructure and the large volume of sediment accumulated in its reservoir. A staged demolition is more natural since it involves a gradual restoration of the solid flow regime. In each performance, 3 meters high are removed from the wall of the dam. Before the first demolition stage, the useful volume of the dam was estimated at 70,500 m3 as the sediments had filled the dam. The flooded area of the reservoir was between 38,000 and 40,000 m2. The three existing drains placed in the bottom of the dam did not work. The pre-demolition works was aimed to protect the Bertxin dam, located downstream, from the released sediments. In addition, it was proceeded to partly emptying the dammed area by gradually opening the bottom drainage. The removal works of the Inturia dam lasted four years, one for each stage of the project. In this way, the changes that have occurred in the river between stages can be evaluated. The actions were performed in summer when the flow is low, except in the stage 4 that was done in January. The reservoir accumulated about 236,000 m3 of sediment. The river mobilized about 60,000 m3 in each stage. In order to start the works, it is necessary to first make a land access to reach the river. Approximately 300 m3 of material was used to make these roads. This material was removed after the work and was re-used in the following stage of the removal process (a year before). After the last phase, a path was made along the right side to allow fishermen access to the river. Finally, a viewpoint has been created where a plaque has been placed with photos and data explaining the process and the importance of this removal. Inturia dam removal inturia dam removal Yes Creation of a path alongside the river Creation of viewpoint with photos and data of the dam removal Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) Alcedo atthis Cinclus cinclus Mustela lutreola Galemys pyrenaicus Brown trout (Salmo trutta) Luciobarbus graellsii Phoxinus bigerri European eel (Anguilla anguilla) References GURATRANS (2014). La demolición de la presa de Inturia: un paso adelante hacia una nueva relación con nuestros ríos. Proyecto EFA221/11 GURATRANS (2014). Seguimiento geomorfológico de los procesos geomorfológicos tras la demolición de una presa en el río Leitzaran. Informe de seguimiento a la demolición de la presa de Inturia tras la segunda fase de derribo. Proyecto EFA221/11 Headwaters Economics (2016). Dam removal: case studies on the Fiscal, Economic, Social and Environmental benefits of dam removal. Ibisate, A., Acín, V., Ballarín, D., Besne, P., Díaz, E., Ferrer-Boix, C., ... & Mesanza, A. Seguimiento geomorfológico del derribo de presas: metodología y primeros resultados (Mendaraz e Inturia, Gipuzkoa). Ibisate, A., Ollero, A., Ballarín, D., Horacio, J., Mora, D., Mesanza, A., ... & Martín-Vide, J. P. (2016). Geomorphic monitoring and response to two dam removals: rivers Urumea and Leitzaran (Basque Country, Spain). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 41(15), 2239-2255. Industrial Economics Inc. (2015). Economic & Community Benefits from Stream Barrier Removal Projects in Massachusetts (MA). Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration. LIFE Irekibai project (2015). Resumen de los trabajos de demolición de la presa de Inturia, Fase 3. LIFE Irekibai project (2016). Resumen de los trabajos de demolición de la presa de Inturia, Fase 4. Ojeda, A. O., de Matauco, A. I. G., Naverac, V. A., Ferrer, D. B., Besne, P., Bea, E. D., ... & Martín-Vide, J. P. (2015). Geomorfología y restauración fluvial: seguimiento del derribo de presas en Gipuzkoa. Cuadernos de investigación geográfica, (40), 67-88. Universidad del País Vasco (2014). Cuantificación de la tasa de sedimentos exportados de la cuenca del Río Leitzaran antes, durante y después de la demolición de la presa de Inturia. (IT598/13, Gobierno Vasco) Environmental flows and water resources Habitat and biodiversity Hydropower 242 100 - 500 k€ 2018-06-25T14:41:34Z 2458295.1121991 2018-11-14T13:43:50Z 2458437.0721065 Inturia dam removal