More cheers for Trebujena!

A plan of the proposed new wetland reserve & restored marshes (via a tweet by the Ayuntamiento de Trebujena)

For the past 20 years a sword of Damocles in the form of a plan to build an urbanization of 300 luxury villas, hotels and a golf course has hung over the former marshland habitats beside the Guadalquivir near Trebujena.  Lagunas here were drained in the mid-1950s but the land proved unsuitable for agriculture (other than rough grazing) due to its high salinity. In 2003 wealthy Belgian developer, Bernard Devos, hatched a plan to build a tourist complex comprising of 300 villas, a hotel and a golf course on the site (see below). This idea remained officially sanctioned as late as 2019 as the Junta de Andalucía continued to approve of the scheme and the local municipality even modified its plans to accommodate it.  At the same time, there were alternative ideas for this site involving the restoration of the marshes (supported amongst others by the excellent ‘Ecologistas en Acción’ organisation and latterly the local government. 

The abandoned proposed urbanisation scheme

I’d long been aware of these plans but was prompted to do a little more digging by an article in La Voz del Sur sent to me by my fellow Cadiz birding aficionado Richard Page-Jones (see https://www.lavozdelsur.es/actualidad/ecologia/miradores-observatorios-senderos-resucitara-trebujena-marisma-lleva-seca-siglo_285078_102.html).  
Happily, the plans for the urbanisation have now been terminally scuppered by opposition from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir (CHG) and staunch opposition from the current mayor of Trebujena, Ramón Galán. The CHG found that the lack of water resources for the macro-urbanization and the golf course made the plan untenable (which environmentalists have been saying for two decades!). This finding was celebrated by ‘Ecologistas en Acción’ in March 2023 (see the photo below from their website).

Ecologistas en Acción’ celebrating the abandonment of the urbanisation scheme in March 2023 (photos from their website).

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The ambitious plans to convert the area to its former status as c700,000 sq. m. wetland with freshwater pools are now well in hand at a cost of almost €2 million (see the map above). The project should be finished in 2024 and will provide viewpoints, bird hides and several large shallow pools (regulated by sluice gates to control salinity). These new pools should be viewable from the CA 9027 as it runs along the northern perimeter of the reserve and from the south via a new pedestrian route giving access (see below). The mayor of Trebujena, Ramón Galán, commented to the media that "This project is very important for Trebujena and we have been waiting for it for a long time," adding that it is "a clear example of collaboration between Administrations to promote a project in a sustainable way in a natural environment. Its regeneration will favour the establishment of birdlife and ornithological tourism." Wise words!  Mercedes Colombo, a delegate of the Andalusian Government in Cádiz added that "This diversity of environments (fresh and brackish), and the existence of different levels of flooding, will allow the lagoons to become one of the main nesting areas for the Marbled Duck, a species classified as endangered at the national level. and that has suffered a dramatic decline in its populations in recent years."

Details I’ve been able to find online are rather sparse but, frustratingly, photos in the media reports showed that there were plans of the new reserve although they only published distant shots of them. However, this was enough to set me digging for more ... 

The frustrating photo from La Voz del Sur showing that there were plans for a new reserve!

 After combing through the internet without success, I turned to searching tweets by the local government (Ayuntamiento de Trebujena - @AytoTrebujena).   I eventually found a map (see above) of the development in a tweet (28/09/2023).  Unfortunately, the map has an incomplete key which doesn’t explain various red and yellow dots (sluice gates?) and a series of cryptic initials and what is visible hasn’t entirely succumbed to “Google Translate”.  However, it does give a good idea of the scope of the plans particularly when viewed in the larger context of the route along CA 9027 beside the Guadalquivir roughly half of which will now enjoy views over an interesting wetland rather than very poor dry habitats (albeit good for sandgrouse!).  The size of the scheme can also be better appreciated when compared to the already extant scheme further to the east (see ‘A’ and ‘B’ on my map below).  

The plans for the new reserve superimposed on a Google satellite view of the area.

In 2023 I saw diggers and workmen here and, I confess, assumed the worst – a new drainage scheme perhaps.  Fortunately, my pessimism has now turned to optimism and the work on the new reserve should be finished in 2024.  The two images below (culled from Google) show the area pre-development (from “GH1” and “GH3” - note the access track here). 

View of the desiccated landscape and the presumed access track from "GH3" (see map) before development (via Google).

Another view of the pre-development dry landscape from "GH1" (via Google)

This photo taken nearby after a very wet spring some years ago gives some idea what the area should soon look like.

With the possible exception of Tarifa, I know of no other local government authority in Cadiz province (or any in neighbouring provinces) that is so committed to preserving the natural world within their area or with a greater understanding of its importance than the current administration in Trebujena.   Similarly, no other authority seems to have a greater grasp of how ‘ornithological tourism’ can be promoted to mutual benefit. Warmest thanks must be extended to mayor, Ramón Galán,  and the community of Trebujena for this excellent initiative. 

As I have noted in a previous blog (see - https://birdingcadizprovince.weebly.com/cadiz-birding-blog-page/spring-2019-update-5-three-cheers-for-trebujena), the community here has commendable pride in hosting the largest colony of Rufous Bushchat (Alzacola rojizo) Spain.  The area is already dotted with handsome ceramic signs celebrating the area’s natural and historical heritage. 

A particularly attractive ceramic sign erected in the area by the local government

This new reserve shows a further commitment to this ethos and is a most welcome practical step towards the Ayuntamiento de Trebujena’s long term aims.  All of this has been achieved with admirable public debate and the support of the local citizens  Given this commitment, I’m hopeful that this new reserve will be more easily accessed than the current one. I will give updates regarding access as soon as they are available.  ​

Notice of a meeting about the plans for the marshes

In my own small way (via this blog, my guide to birding in Cadiz and my co-authorship of the Crossbill Guide to the Western Andalucia) I’ve been trying to convince people for years that there’s more to birding in the area than just watching raptor passage across the straits.  There may be no denying that the raptor passage across the straits is the jewel in the crown but the Guadalquivir littoral is a diadem that shouldn’t be missed. Trebujena makes a great base for exploring this area as within minutes you can explore local hotspots with sought after birds like Rufous Bushchat, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Marbled and White-headed Ducks, to the west Chipiona with its colony of Little Swifts (and the potential for joining the regular pelagic birding trips from there) is only thirty minutes away and to the north-east you can be birding the fabulous Brazo del Este in 45 minutes.  Best of all, by using Trebujena as a base you support an excellent local initiative.  So if you’re a regular to the area or even a new visitor instead of doing the obvious thing and staying along the straits consider splitting your stay between Tarifa and Trebujena – you won’t be disappointed!  

Marbled Teal - an endangered species in Spain that should benefit from the scheme