RIVERSIDE INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL "LET'S TALK ABOUT RIVERS"

From the riverside protocol study we can draw the following data and conclusions

PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS:

On March 24, 2022, the ´´Climate Detectives`` research team of the IES NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA, collected some data from the river that runs near the municipality, Andújar (Jaén), the Guadalquivir river. A part of the river passes through this area and there are no signs of stagnant water.

To calculate the flow of the river, our team used a rope that ran a section of the river towards the shore and timed the time it took for the water to cover the rope. If the water had never flowed, we would have noted its velocity as 0, which would have influenced the data below. Since the water was flowing at that moment, we managed to obtain the result: 1.425 m/sg.

The section of the river that passes through our municipality is not very wide since its width is 30 meters and its depth is 1.60 meters.

With the data obtained, we were able to calculate the flow of the channel, which is determined by the discharges found in the dams present upstream. Finally, the result obtained is the following: 68.40 m3/sg = 68400 litres/sg.

ORGANOLEPTIC PARAMETERS:

The river, through our locality, does not present any strange element or any contaminant: oil, foam...

The color that the water had on that date was Brown / Ocher, due to the earth that it contained inside.

The river water is odourless, that is, it has no smell.

The day we went to collect this data, the air temperature was 12ºC and the water temperature was 11ºC. Nothing could be seen through the water so the depth of view was 0m and the depth of light was 0%.

The water had a pH of 7.3 and no nitrates. It is important to note that in the area of ​​isolated points and collectors that discharge into the riverbed, the presence of Endosulfan and Phthalate (sulphates used in the production of plastics) was recorded.

BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS:

The structure and complexity of the riverbank is as follows: it is a riverside forest with native trees (flora originating in the same place where it is located) but with a plant cover of less than 50% (sparse trees).

The connectivity of the river consists of: spaces related to traditional agriculture (fruit and irrigation) on both sides of the riverbank, which means that the market gardeners of the municipality are supplied with water provided by the river.

Although the riverbank does not form a continuous mass, its vegetation appears regularly throughout the entire stretch. With its continuity, we obtain a score of 7 over a threshold that includes between 0 and 13m, since it is a medium-type stretch.

An I.B.C.A.: 12 was obtained.

The water quality class according to IBCA is V.

The IBCA score is <15.

Meaning: heavily polluted waters (strongly altered system.)

Despite the results obtained in the IBCA, the riverbank presents strong impacts that are observed to fluctuate throughout the year, with a tendency to improve its quality.

QUALIFICATION OF THE RIVERSIDE ZONE OF THE ECOSYSTEMS (QBR).

Cover degree of the riparian zone.

SCORE: 5

5 / 10-50% of vegetation cover of the riparian zone.

Roof structure (the entire riparian area is counted).

SCORE: 15

5 / Tree cover less than 50% and the rest of the cover with shrubs between 10 and 25%.

+10 / If the concentration of helophytes or bushes on the shore is greater than 50%.

Quality of the cover (see, the determination of the geomorphological type of the riparian zone).

SCORE: 10

25 / Number of different species of native trees and shrubs.

+5 / If there is an arrangement in bands parallel to the river.

-5 / If there are structures built by man.

-5 / If there is any isolated introduced (native) tree species.

-10/ If there are garbage dumps.

Degree of naturalness of the river channel.

SCORE: 15.

25/ The river channel has not been modified.

10/ If there is any solid structure within the river bed.

*Some frequent species considered non-native: Populus deltoides (Virginia poplar), Populus x canadiensis (Canada poplar), Populus nigra var. Pyramidalis (Italian poplar), Salix babylonica (weeping willow). Aislanths altissima (Ailanthus), Celtis australis (Harberry), Robrinia pseudoacia (Robinia), Platanus x hispaníca (Plantain), Nicotiana sp, Castanea sativa, Arundo donaz, Ficus ap., Ceratonia siliqua and fruit trees.

On the riverbank we find the presence of eucalyptus (red eucalyptus 9, three-thorn acacia, hybrid black poplar with the Canadian variety, weeping willow and a strong presence of tamarix that prevents the germination or naturalization of riparian species).

Types of unevenness of the riparian zone.

PUNCTUATION:

4 / Slope between 20 and 45%, stepped or not.

-1/Joint width: between 1 and 5m.

Percentage of hard substrate with inability for a permanent plant mass to take root in it.

+2/ 20 and 30%.

Total score of the geomorphological type: 5.

Geomorphological type according to the score.

If it is between 5 and 8 it is type 2, it is about riverbanks with intermediate potentiality to support an area with vegetation.

The final QBR score is 50.

If the score is between 30-50, the quality level is strong alteration, poor quality, and the representative color is orange.

TREES.

Bank.

white willow (salix alba)

Riverbank.

Banana (platanus hispanica)

Poplar (populus nigra)

Canadian Poplar (Populos x Canadians)

Fig tree (Ficus carica)

Both.

white poplar (populus alba)

osier (salix fragilis ssp. neotricha)

Weeping Willow (salix babylonica)

Taray (tamarix gallica / t. africana)

Bramble (rubus sp. / rose sp.)

Cañota, common reed (phragmites australis)

Reed (juncus spp. / carex spp.)

Common reed (Arundo donax).

EVALUATION OF THE RIVER HABITAT.

1.Inclusion rapids-sedimentation pools.

10/ Rapids / Stones, pebbles and gravel not fixed by fine sediments. Inclusion 0-30%.

5/Pools only / Sedimentation 30-60%.

TOTAL:15.

2.Frequency of rapids.

4/ Constancy of laminar flow or shallow rapids. Distance ratio between rapids / river width >25.

TOTAL:4.

3. Composition of the substrate.

2/%Blocks and stones/ 1-10%.

2 / Pebbles and gravel / 1-10%.

2/%Sand/ 1-10%.

5/% silt and clay / >10

TOTAL:11

4. Speed/depth regimens.

6/Only 2 of the 4.

TOTAL:6

5. Percentage of shade in the channel.

5/ Large gaps.

TOTAL:5

6. Heterogeneity elements.

2/ Leaf litter / 1-10 or > 75%.

2/ Presence of trunks and branches.

TOTAL:4

FINAL SCORE: 45.

Rapid inclusion-sedimentation 10 out of 10.

Rate of rapids 4 out of 10.

Substrate composition 11 of 20.

Speed/depth regimen 6 out of 10.

Percentage of shade in the channel 5 out of 10.

Elements of heterogeneity 4 out of 10.

After verifying the final assessment of IHF is 40 points out of 100, which indicates that the capacity to harbor life in the riverbed is 40%. As it is a medium section, our conclusion is defined as sufficient, since we value that this type of fluvial profiles should oscillate between 55 and 75% of life.

OBSERVED IMPACTS

The impacts that our team was able to identify were:

- STATUS OF THE RIPARY ECOSYSTEM:

· Signs of erosion in a few places.

· Exotic species in many places.

· Trees or shrubs felled or damaged in a few places.

· Remains of vegetation burned in a few places.

· There are no dead aquatic animals at any point.

· Rupture of the continuity of the plant mass in a few points.

Also, landfills were found in the section.

- WASTE AND SPILLS:

· In many points there was small urban solid waste such as: paper, cans, etc.

· In a few places there was large urban solid waste: vehicles, electrical appliances,...

· At no point were there containers of fertilizers or phytosanitary products.

· In a few places there were excrements from farm animals and remains from the construction.

· At no point was there any sand or stone from extractive activities or dumping of organic agricultural residues.

· In a few points there were wastewater discharges WITH or WITHOUT a collector.

- WATER QUALITY: we find different species such as:

· Crustaceans: of the Coenagrionidae species.

· Diptera (Flies and mosquitoes): of the Chironomidae species.

· Ephemeroptera: of the species Caenidae (caenids)

SATELLITE DATA

EO BROWSER

In the images provided by the satellites of the Copernicus project, we can draw several conclusions:

-Data from the months of May from 2017 to 2021: we can see that the landscape and the degree of humidity vary quite a bit depending on the year. We can deduce:

+The humidity season is very irregular in the area, which drastically affects the river and its riparian forest

+May is supposed to be a month where the degree of humidity should still be high, but as we can see in the high temperatures that are reached in this month in the region studied, it generates a fairly low humidity in the soil to what would be expected, with low rates of vegetation.

+The highest vegetation indices are observed in very regular sectors, from which we deduce that irrigation is used in the area to solve the problem of rainfall

-Data for one year, from April 2021 to April 2022: we can see that the landscape and the degree of humidity vary quite a bit depending on the year. We can deduce:

+ The summer months are clearly differentiated, where the humidity index is very low. +There is a problem with humidity and vegetation, since this season lasts longer and longer.

TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION ANALYSIS

The trend in recent decades of rising temperatures is alarming, each time the summer season lasts longer and the "halftime" of the autumn and spring months has been lost. In addition, we suffered more and more intense heat waves in the area. Andújar usually appears every year in the summer news, often reaching the high temperature record during the summer months.

Rainfall is less, and the most dangerous thing is that, when it does occur, it is sometimes torrential.

The data from the reservoirs at the head of the Guadalquivir are alarming.

EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN ANDÚJAR

Regarding the 80's...

+Summers are five weeks longer

+It rains 30% less

+Heat waves are now 10 times more frequent

+Changes in the electrical and energy system with skyrocketing energy, food and fuel prices.

+Increased water contamination (due to concentration)

+ aggravation of diseases

+Pests, (implanted the tiger mosquito)

+ More fires and more serious.