The Basque Government has given the environmental statement for the project to protect the Salado stream

Nicolás García-Borreguero Uribe, Director of the Environmental Administration of the Basque Government, has issued the environmental impact statement for the project to mitigate the flood risk of the Salado stream, in the municipality of Baños de Ebro/Mañueta (Álava). The resolution is dated October 16, 2026, and was published on November 12, 2026, in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country, issue number 217, with official reference 2026/4807. The project promoter is the Basque Water Agency, and the statement imposes binding environmental conditions on the work.

The statement assigns the competence to the Directorate of Environmental Administration according to Decree 410/2024, which establishes the organic structure of the Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, and is based on articles 36 and 37 of Law 21/2013 (of December 9, on environmental assessment) and article 76.1 of Law 10/2021 (of December 9, of the Environmental Administration of the Basque Country). The project requires an ordinary assessment, as it falls under paragraph g) of group D.7 of Annex II.D of the aforementioned second law: channelization or layout changes of watercourses, covering at least 250 meters of natural watercourse. During the process, public information was carried out in issue number 187 of the gazette on October 2, 2025, allegations were received, and the Basque Water Agency completed the request for the statement on September 8, 2026, with the February project and the environmental impact study of March 2026.

Current state of the stream and project area

The Salado stream has a length of 2,898 meters, originates in the Las Rozas area of the municipality of Villabuena de Álava/Eskuernaga, and flows south until it enters the municipality of Baños de Ebro, where it flows into the Ebro river, approximately 160 meters downstream from the project area. The basin is approximately 4.0 km² and extends between the slopes to a peri-urban area in the west of the municipality. Depending on the season, it often runs dry and carries a very small flow.

The hydraulic section of the watercourse is currently insufficient to drain even the most common floods, i.e., those with a return period of 10 years or less. The channelization is degraded from an environmental perspective: the banks have been artificialized with stone walls, riparian vegetation is scarce almost throughout the route, the edges are occupied by agricultural land, and concrete walls further reduce the water flow. The stream has three culvert structures connected to roads of varying importance, some of which have an insufficient hydraulic section, aggravating the flood problem.

The project area is approximately 550 meters, from the surroundings of the Dominio de Berzal winery to the lower section of the A-3224 provincial road, southwest of the municipal urbanized area. There are two urbanized areas there: the winery itself, on the edge, and, next to the A-3224 road, several houses directly affected by floods. The objective is to improve the stream’s discharge capacity to protect the municipal urbanized area from floods for return periods of at least 50 years and, as a complement, to perform the environmental and landscape restoration of the riverbed. According to the current Sectoral Territorial Plan for Rivers and Streams, this section is level 0, as it has a basin of 4 km².

Two new culverts and riverbed renovation

The main work consists of replacing two culverts, without touching the third one:

• 1st culvert: reinforced concrete culvert, with a length of 8.25 meters and an internal section of 3.00 × 1.50 meters.
• 3rd culvert: renovation of the crossing over the A-3224 provincial road, with a length of 11.37 meters and an internal section of 2.50 × 1.80 meters; it will be shifted northward to avoid damaging the nearby agricultural building.
• 2nd culvert: will not be changed, as hydraulic studies confirm its capacity to handle the flood, but the riverbed layout will be slightly corrected in its vicinity.

In the riverbed, throughout the entire work area, the following will be carried out: the bottom will be regularized, removing existing debris, and the bed level will be lowered by up to 80 cm where necessary. Two retaining walls with micropiles will be constructed, one on the left side above the culvert and the other on the right side below the 3rd culvert, next to the facade of the agricultural building. A trapezoidal section will be implemented, with a bottom width of 1.00 meter and 1(H):1(V) slopes, with riprap stones exceeding the bottom by 30 cm; toe protection will be placed on slopes higher than 2 meters.

For protection, a dike and a riprap facing will be constructed on the left side in the section of the Dominio de Berzal winery (PK 0+070-0+140) to protect the urbanization from the effects of the water, and a riprap facing on the right side in the lower section of the 3rd culvert to protect the agricultural warehouse. The resolution also mentions a stream that will not be affected: 11534 Unnamed stream, right-bank tributary. The works are expected to be carried out in ten months, and it is estimated that approximately 2,048.28 m³ of earth will be moved; the surplus, maximum 2,199 m³, will be validated or managed through an authorized manager. The occupation will be 1,821.64 m² (permanent) and 2,016.48 m² (temporary).

Prohibitions and conditions related to harmful fauna

The resolution establishes specific conditions for the protection of the natural habitat, including:

• Prior to the works, surveys will be carried out for the sand martin (Riparia riparia), the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), and the European mink (Mustela lutreola).
• Working will be prohibited during the critical breeding period of the European mink, from March 15 to July 31, as the species is cataloged as “Endangered”.
• The critical period for the European turtle dove is from April 21 to August 20, and for the sand martin from March 15 to July 15.
• Artificial nests will be installed for the sand martin, outside of areas prone to frequent flooding.
• To restore the vegetation on the riverbanks, species from the ash-elm group will be planted and grey willow (Salix atrocinerea) cuttings will be placed in dry embankments.

An important piece of data regarding the fauna must be added: a report from the Natural Heritage Service dated May 28, 2025, detected traces of the European mink in the project area. Likewise, the project is located approximately 130 meters from the Ebro River SCI area (ES2110008), and 30 meters from its environmental protection peripheral zone.

Agricultural lands, noise, and validity period

According to the Agroforestry PTS, the project is located on plots categorized as Agriculture and Livestock – High Strategic Value (% 61.73), with maize being the main crop. Therefore, in compliance with Article 16 of Law 17/2008 (December 23, on Agricultural and Food Policy), a report from the agricultural body of the Provincial Council of Álava will be required. Regarding noise, since the works will last more than six months, an acoustic impact study must be carried out according to Article 44 of Decree 213/2012 (October 16, on acoustic pollution in the Basque Country).

The declaration has a validity of four years: if the project does not start within that period after publication, it will lose its validity. The promoter must notify the environmental body of the start date of the works.

From the perspective of the impact on the environment, the importance of the declaration is twofold for Baños de Ebro/Mañueta: on one hand, it provides protection for the urbanized areas of the municipality for a 50-year return period, and on the other, it sets the conditions to recover a completely degraded stretch and renaturalize it in an environment dominated by maize landscapes, along with the care of the European mink and vulnerable birds.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 217, 12 de noviembre de 2026, Otras disposiciones, pp. 1-20 (official reference: 2026/4807).