Expropriation to remove stork nests from the WWTP power line

The Regional Ministry of Sustainable Development of Castilla-La Mancha has opened for public consultation the compulsory expropriation file for the land necessary to remove stork nests and install anti-perching systems on the power line that supplies the wastewater treatment plant (EDAR) of Aldea del Rey-Calzada de Calatrava (Ciudad Real). The decision is detailed in the Resolution of 06/09/2026 of the General Secretariat, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha number 177, dated September 15, 2026, with reference 2026/6536 and file AD-CR-26-002.

The action is a response to deficiencies detected during regulatory inspections of the high-voltage line, which revealed serious defects due to the presence of nests on supports 19, 23, 24, and 27. The beneficiary of the expropriation is the public law entity Infraestructuras del Agua de Castilla-La Mancha, which has requested the initiation of the file under article 22.2 of Decree 7/2011, of February 8, which approves its Statutes.

Legal Framework and Public Utility

The processing is based on article 30 of Law 2/2022, of February 18, on Waters of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, which establishes that the approval of the project implies the declaration of public utility and social interest of the works, as well as the need for urgent occupation of the affected assets and rights. The procedure is governed by articles 17, 18, and 19 of the Compulsory Expropriation Law, of December 16, 1954, and by articles 17 and 18 of its Regulation, of April 26, 1957.

Deadline and Allegations Procedure

The project is subject to public consultation for a period of fifteen (15) business days, starting from the day following the last of the publications of the resolution in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, the Official Provincial Gazette, and a provincial newspaper with the widest circulation. During this period, the affected owners may:

• Rectify possible errors in the published list of assets.
• Oppose, for reasons of substance or form, the necessity of the occupation.
• Indicate the reasons why the occupation of other assets or the acquisition of different rights should be considered preferential.

Public domain assets are published for informational purposes only.

Planned Works and Affected Parties

The authorization from the Provincial Delegation of the Regional Ministry of Sustainable Development in Ciudad Real conditions the removal of the nests on the installation of a platform adjacent to the same height as the supports, to attract the affected nesting pairs. The works include:

• The removal of existing nests and their installation on new supports with platforms near the affected ones.
• The installation of anti-nesting rooflets.

The list of affected parties is concentrated in the municipality of Calzada de Calatrava, plot 63, parcel 50, and includes the owners María del Pilar Camacho Sánchez, María Vicenta Camacho Sánchez (heirs), Agustín Manuel Camacho Sánchez (heirs), and Carmen Camacho Sánchez, with expropriation areas, flight easements, and temporary occupation according to the classification of pastures and dryland farming.

The project may be consulted at Infraestructuras del Agua de Castilla-La Mancha, in Toledo, Río Portiña street, 2, CIE-I building ground floor, office 2, by appointment via telephone 925 28 39 50, and at the Provincial Delegation of the Ministry of Sustainable Development in Ciudad Real, Alarcos street, 21, 3rd floor, telephone 926 279 500, on business days during office hours. The resolution is signed by the general secretary, María del Carmen Martín Sánchez.

The measure combines the security of the electrical infrastructure with the protection of avifauna by relocating nests to secure platforms instead of removing them, a relevant balance for the municipalities of the region where the white stork habitually nests on electrical supports.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 177, September 15, 2026, section III (Other provisions and acts), page 32020 (official reference: 2026/6536).