The 9 Murcia wetland areas hoping to be included in national inventory
Environmental landmarks in Murcia are aiming for greater protection as they call for national status
A group of nine wetland areas across the Region of Murcia has formally requested recognition as national wetlands in an effort to ensure greater environmental protection and preservation. The wetlands, which include significant sites such as the Mar Menor and the protected Las Moreras and Lagunas de Campotejar, are key ecosystems for both wildlife and local communities.The proposal has been submitted to the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition. The aim is for these wetlands to be officially acknowledged under national law, granting them higher status and more comprehensive safeguards. This would ensure they are better protected against pollution, urbanisation and other environmental threats.
Wetlands are vital habitats for a wide variety of bird species, and they also play an important role in water filtration and carbon storage. In Murcia, these areas are essential for biodiversity, supporting numerous species of waterfowl and rare plants. The request for national recognition is a step towards addressing the growing concerns about the environmental threats these sites face.
For example, the wetlands of Las Moreras in Mazarrón have long been a site of concern, particularly due to the impacts of urban development and farming. Similarly, the Lagunas de Campotejar in Molina de Segura face challenges with local water management.
The regional government has shown support for the move, with local officials recognising the wetlands’ crucial environmental role and the potential for national recognition to increase funding and focus on conservation.
The new designation could also attract more attention to local biodiversity efforts, such as birdwatching activities and citizen science projects like the water bird census that took place in January this year in the Mazarrón wetlands
As these nine wetlands push for national recognition, it is hoped that their unique natural landscapes will receive the attention and protection they urgently need, ensuring these vital ecosystems are preserved for future generations.
Murcia wetland areas hoping for national recognition 2025
- Fuente Caputa (Mula): Wetland included in the regional inventory of the year 2000 without cartography or extension data. It could be included in the national inventory from the source of the Perea wadi to the Fuente Caputa pool, a stretch of water which flows forming pools and ponds.
- Fuentes del Marqués (Caravaca de la Cruz): There are no data on its size or mapping in the 2000 regional inventory. It has an area of 17 hectares which could be included in the national inventory, as it has several habitats of Community Interest associated with wetlands, with very rare species in the Region of Murcia such as the ‘Batrachospermum atrum’ (the only one recorded in Spain), as well as vascular plants which are difficult to see in the Community. Furthermore, this locality is included in the inventory of Places of Geological Interest in the Region of Murcia, and has also approved the municipal ordinance for the ‘protection and sustainable use of the Paraje de las Fuentes del Marqués’.
- Salinas del Águila (Jumilla): The regional inventory delimits only the salt flats with a surface area of 1.73 hectares. In any case, its surface area could be increased if sections of the nearby wadi or adjoining salt marshes were added to it.
- Playa del Saladar beach (Águilas): Surface area of six hectares, where the presence of the kentish plover has been recorded.
- Playa del Rafal beach salt marsh (Águilas): It has a total surface area of eight hectares.
- Tamarisks on the Playa de las Chapas beach (Mazarrón): It has a total surface area of seven hectares and is located at the mouth of the Pastrana wadi.
- Playa de los Pichones beach salt marsh (Mazarrón): An extension of 7.5 hectares.
- La Contraparada (Murcia): A natural site of 20 hectares that is structured around the Contraparada weir, which is an Asset of Cultural Interest and has been distributing water from the Segura river to the irrigation channel system of the Murcia plain since the Muslim period. The presence of otters, leper tortoises and a high diversity of birds associated with wetlands has been recorded.
- Salto del Usero (Bullas): Two hectares in surface area. It has been declared a Natural Monument.
Images: Turismo Región de Murcia
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