In recent weeks, the Manzanares River has increased its flow and today it has left a big surprise: an otter has been seen swimming in its waters. A few years ago, the species had been declared extinct in the capital, but thanks to the renaturalization of the river , it has reappeared in recent years.
The images were shared by the Jarama Vivo platform on its X profile, where it noted that “River dynamics are necessary to improve rivers and the biodiversity associated with the riverbed and its banks.”
An otter in 2019
Otter and vegetation on the Manzanares River. | Editorial credit: Shutterstock and Donald M. Jones
In June 2019 , an otter was also spotted on the Manzanares River, near the Puente de los Franceses bridge. The news was cause for celebration, as otters had been absent for 50 years due topollution and poor water quality.
A few years earlier, in 2016, Ecologistas en Acción had presented a project to revitalize the river and put an end to the pollution that was killing the ecosystem. Thanks to their proposal and €1.2 million in support from the Madrid City Council, the flow of the Manzanares was regenerated.
The dam gates were opened, the riverbed took shape, and vegetation increased. According to the Tagus River Basin Authority, water quality improved and bird species also increased .
The otter became a symbol of well-being in Madrid’s river as a result of this whole process of care. Today, the otter reminds us that the ecosystem is alive and responds to an increase in its flow.
Risk of flooding on the Jarama River
However, not all the consequences of the rain are good. On Wednesday, the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation activated red alerts for flooding on the Jarama River and at other points on the Alberche and Henares rivers .
The affected sections are in San Fernando de Henares, Mejorada del Campo, Titulcia, Valdepeñas, and Algete, where the flow rates exceed 2.80 meters, placing them above the safe threshold.
Emergency protocols have already been activated and the dams are releasing water, as reported by the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation on its Twitter profile.