{"id":459,"date":"2026-03-04T13:03:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T12:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/?post_type=noticia&p=459"},"modified":"2026-08-25T09:03:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T07:03:26","slug":"restoration-of-the-ballesteros-lagoons","status":"publish","type":"noticia","link":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/noticia\/restauracion-lagunas-de-ballesteros\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ballesteros Lagoons, one of Cuenca's most unique natural spaces, will recover their good environmental condition through a public-private partnership."},"content":{"rendered":"

The Global Nature Foundation, Redeia, the Provincial Council of Cuenca, and the Board of Communities of Castilla-La Mancha have presented, coinciding with World Nature Day, the\u00a0LIFE Ballesteros Lagoons Project<\/a><\/strong>, which\u00a0<\/strong>will work for the comprehensive restoration, expansion, and conservation of the natural habitats of the Lagunas de Ballesteros, a group of circular wetlands on gypsum located in the province of Cuenca, a very rare natural landscape in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This space, located in the Ballesteros Lagoon Complex Natural Reserve, has been affected in recent decades by agricultural activity and water extraction for irrigation, which has led to the drying up of the flood plain and severely degraded the area's vegetation, which is now almost nonexistent. Thanks to the recently launched LIFE Ballesteros project, it will be possible to restore more than 280 hectares between 2026 and 2029, allowing one of the most unique ecosystems in the Natura 2000 network to recover its natural state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative has a budget of 3.9 million euros, co-financed by the European Union through the LIFE program, Redeia, and the Provincial Council of Cuenca. It also has the collaboration of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha and the municipalities of Arcas, Valdet\u00f3rtola, and Villar de Olalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comprehensive collaboration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the presentation of this initiative, Eduardo de Miguel, Director of the Global Nature Foundation<\/strong>, explained that \u201cLIFE Ballesteros is a project that can only succeed thanks to collaboration between government agencies, farmers, and the local community. We have reached preliminary agreements with 18 landowners representing 94% of the protected area\u2019s total land area, as part of a land acquisition process led by the European Union, which will enable us to move toward a complete and lasting restoration of the ecosystem.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also learn from previous experiences like the LIFE El Hito project, in the province of Cuenca, where the purchase of land, the restoration of the wetland, and collaboration with farmers proved that environmental recovery is compatible with the sustainable development of the territory. That project served as a reference, and now we are applying those lessons in Ballesteros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For its part, the Redeia delegate in Castilla-La Mancha, Patricia Crego<\/strong>, has highlighted \u201cRedeia's commitment to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems through collaboration and support for local entities via our Comprehensive Impact Strategy, with the goal of generating a positive impact on the territory where our facilities are located.\u201d In this regard, he stated that \u201cRedeia is aware of the richness of the ecosystems in the province of Cuenca, which is why we promote different initiatives of lasting value.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the President of the Provincial Council of Cuenca, \u00c1lvaro Mart\u00ednez Chana<\/strong>, has highlighted that with Global Nature, \u201cwe are betting on a sure thing,\u201d as demonstrated by the Laguna del Hito project, which has allowed for the recovery of this space and directly attracted over 60,000 visitors and 3,500 schoolchildren. This, in turn, has a positive impact on the people living in the area. Furthermore, he has shown himself to be a proponent of this public-private collaboration model for building alliances between the LIFE Project and civil society in different regions, such as town councils, farmers, and local residents. This approach showcases a different way of supporting the natural environment without hindering the development of rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For its part, Susana Jara, the Director General of Natural Environment and Biodiversity of Castilla-La Mancha<\/strong>, has reaffirmed the regional government's commitment to the conservation and restoration of wetlands, highlighting the importance of collaborative initiatives like this project. Jara stressed that \u00abCastilla-La Mancha boasts exceptional natural heritage,\u00bb and that these actions help protect \u00abunique ecosystems that are part of our identity.\u00bb He emphasized the strategic role of these spaces in the fight against climate change, recalling that they \u00abregulate the water cycle, store carbon, and host extraordinary biodiversity,\u00bb identifying the Ballesteros lagoon complex and the Moscas river valley as priorities. \u00abProtecting our wetlands today is guaranteeing natural resources, biodiversity, and well-being for future generations,\u00bb he affirmed, calling for the collaboration of all social sectors, as conservation \u00abis a common challenge\u00bb that depends as much on large projects as on small everyday gestures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exceptional geological phenomenon in a natural space unique in Europe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Ballesteros Lagoons host over thirty sinkholes and uvalas formed by a geological phenomenon unique in Europe. The dissolution of gypsum creates an exceptional landscape of lagoons: a living process characterized by its slow evolution. However, processes on gypsum in the center of the province of Cuenca are extraordinarily rapid, a peculiarity of these gypsum deposits that caused the last collapse less than 20 years ago. These sinkholes and uvalas form as a result of an active karst process on a gypsum aquifer: if these depressions are connected to the lower aquifer, they receive water from it and can thus become permanent or semi-permanent lagoons; conversely, if they are not connected, they are only temporarily flooded when it rains or if the water table rises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A total transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the LIFE Ballesteros, they will be acquired for restoration up to 94% of the protected area's surface<\/strong>, eliminating its agricultural use. The environmental restoration will eliminate 3.5 kilometers of artificial drains and canals and remove irrigation infrastructure and debris. The project will work to replenish aquifer levels and induce temporary flooding processes in 120 to 145 hectares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative also includes the official expansion of the Special Conservation Area (ZEC) by 281 hectares and the update of its Management Plan. In addition, the area of natural habitats will increase tenfold, growing from the current less than 30 hectares to nearly 280.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this regard, another of the project's central objectives is restore the seagrass meadowsGreat fen-sedge<\/em>), a native species that serves as a refuge for dozens of unique species of birds, amphibians, and invertebrates<\/strong>. These meadows have almost completely disappeared and only grow on the edges of lagoons: where hectares of dense vegetation once extended, today only small, scattered patches remain. To reverse this situation, 250,000 specimens will be planted to multiply their current extent by seven, returning one of the wetland's most characteristic ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A commitment to collaboration and awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To ensure the long-term sustainability of this recovery, Territory custody agreements will be promoted with local farmers<\/strong> that help reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides in 500 hectares around the SCI. It will also feature a scientific monitoring system that will include detailed botanical mapping, hydrochemical studies, analysis of charophyte communities, key for assessing water quality, and entomological studies focused on aquatic invertebrates, especially endemic or highly threatened species, as indicators of the system's ecological status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, an ambitious public awareness and outreach program will be developed.<\/strong>, with the creation of a 1.5-kilometer interpretive trail, two parking areas to manage visits, educational activities aimed at 5,000 schoolchildren, and a traveling exhibition that will tour 50 municipalities in Cuenca. Innovative financial tools will also be explored.<\/strong>, such as biodiversity credits and water footprint metrics, to engage the business sector in space conservation.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Global Nature Foundation, Redeia, the Cuenca Provincial Council, and the Regional Government of Castile-La Mancha are presenting the LIFE Lagunas de Ballesteros Project, a \u20ac3.9 million initiative to restore more than 280 hectares of karst wetlands\u2014unique in Europe\u2014with agreements reached with the majority of the protected area\u2019s landowners.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":1241,"template":"","tipo-de-noticia":[18],"class_list":["post-459","noticia","type-noticia","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tipo-de-noticia-proyecto"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/noticia\/459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/noticia"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/noticia"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"tipo-de-noticia","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lagunasdeballesteros.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tipo-de-noticia?post=459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}