The Water Agency has released the flood protection project for the Oria river in Tolosa for public information

The Basque Water Agency has released for public information the project to reduce the flood risk of the Oria river in Tolosa. The project was initially approved by the agency’s general director via a resolution dated September 12, 2026, and was published on October 2, 2026, in issue number 189 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco official gazette, in the section for other official announcements. Citizens have 20 business days to submit allegations regarding the project.

The official title of the project is «Proyecto de defensa contra inundaciones del río Oria a su paso por el municipio de Tolosa», and it is recorded in the gazette under reference 2026/4092. The announcement was signed by Asier Lopez Etxebarria, general director of the Basque Water Agency, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, on September 15, 2026. The Basque Water Agency is the hydraulic water basin administration of the Basque Autonomous Community, and its competence includes the management of riverbeds and flood risk.

Project objective and main interventions

The objective of the project is to reduce the flood risk in the municipality of Tolosa by renovating several structures and protection measures along the course of the Oria river. According to the announcement, the interventions are as follows:

• Replacing the new bridge of Nafarroa Hiribide, to allow water to flow better.
• Replacing the railing on the left bank with an impermeable low wall, from the new Nafarroa Hiribide bridge to the pedestrian walkway at the entrance of the Tinglado market.
• Installing mobile flood barriers in the area of the Tinglado market and at the river access located on the left side downstream from the Arramele bridge.

The works will be complemented by environmental restoration activities, as specified in the announcement. Therefore, the interventions are not limited to hydraulic protection: works to dry out the river surroundings are also planned.

Public information and allegations

The basis for releasing the project for public information is Article 83 of Ley 39/2015, de 1 de octubre, del Procedimiento Administrativo Común de las Administraciones Públicas. The period is counted from the day following the publication of the announcement, and during that interval, interested parties may submit allegations they deem appropriate.

The resolution initially approves the project, and the public information process is mandatory to proceed with the processing. This process does not approve the project definitively: after receiving allegations, the agency will decide whether the project needs to be modified.

The project documentation is available to interested parties on the Basque Water Agency website, in the hydraulic works section (www.uragencia.euskadi.eus). The period for submitting allegations begins on October 3, 2026, the day after publication, and ends within a period of twenty business days.

Project directly affecting the residents of Tolosa

Tolosa is a municipality located in the basin of the Oria river, and has been historically affected by floods. The project intervenes in the heart of the town center: Nafarroa Avenue and the Tinglado market are the axes of daily life in Tolosa, and the works there will condition traffic and pedestrian flow.

Since the intervention involves replacing a bridge and modifying the protection elements along the riverbanks, the execution of the works will have a direct impact on the surrounding neighbors, commerce, and services.

Conclusion

The public information period is the window of time for citizens to learn the details of the project and make observations. Unless allegations are presented or once they are resolved, the project will move forward, and the reduction of flood risk in Tolosa will be implemented in the medium term.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, number 189, October 2, 2026, Other official announcements (official reference: 2026/4092).