Fernando Sendra Bañuls and Rafael Delgado Artes
We are a nation prone to fleeting trends, and it seems that since the DANA, issuing alerts—whether timely or not—has been taken more seriously. We seize this moment to highlight a pressing and visible crisis: the degradation of the Huerta de Gandia, it’s garden region.
There’s no need to reiterate what we’ve emphasized countless times before. The Huerta de Gandia is a natural, historical and economic region of extraordinary importance. It is both a historical agro-system, possibly predating the Huerta de Valencia, and a landscape of immense value that we believe every resident of La Safor should deeply appreciate and understand. In fact, this garden region is our favorite spot for leisurely strolls.
We visit the area regularly, whether for leisure or by invitation.. Several times a year, in any season Sometimes alone, sometimes accompanied, but almost always on bicycle, because it’s the perfect way to navigate the rural paths. What remains constant on these visits is our continued amazement at the richness of this space. When we go out with others, amidst jokes and laughter, we seize the moment to passionately highlight the value and significance of heritage and territory, striving to raise social awareness.
Recently, we’ve had the chance to enjoy some wonderful excursions. Last November we had two. The first one was organiszd by the Font d’en Carròs Town Hall with the young people of the municipality (by the way, congratulations to the new generations, for their promising future!). We explored the Racó mills, including the First (now vanished), the Second (in ruins), the Arròs Mill, the Boleda Mill (also in ruins), and the Foia Mill. All these were once powered by the Rebollet irrigation ditch, which we followed and admired along the way. This serves as a testament to the ingenuity and sensitivity involved in harnessing the potential energy of water, from the elevation of Casa Fosca in Potries to its eventual flow—after a winding journey—into the Plaza de la Bassa in Oliva, where a mill and hydraulic system were constructed.
On the second excursion, we joined the Per l’Horta de la Safor group to support their efforts in raising funds for the legal battle against the CV-60 motorway. Together we traced the course of the Oliva Comuna irrigation channel, starting from the Ferrús and Sotaia branches. Along the way, we encountered several key irrigation channels, including the vital Miramar channel, with its historic mills—Serreria, Sotaia, and Miquel—as well as various branches, channels, and pipes. Our journey also took us along the main Oliva Comuna channel itself, passing notable mills such as Anouers, Canyisset, and the now-vanished Alcudiola, along with Bas and Català mills. The path culminated at the infrastructural barrier created by the N-332 and the surrounding industrial estates.
There, we were forced to turn back because, inexplicably, the country roads had been cut off by roadworks, leaving the Huerta itself fragmented. This disruption was made without any regard or consideration for creating alternative routes that would allow non-motorized vehicles to pass through. Thus, the primary aim of this article is to call for respect and recognition of the historic country roads of the Huerta, which have been used by our ancestors for centuries. Moreover, it is crucial to recognize these rural roads and the proper names of the areas—clearly visible and legible—as key elements of regional identity that must be preserved and promoted. This would ease movement across the territory, enabling better management, enjoyment, and understanding of the area. It is vital to propose viable detour that would allow the roads to continue beyond the roadworks, instead of being interrupted as they are currently.
However, beyond that, the main aim of this article is to raise an urgent alert. We aim to sound the alarm about the dire state of the water management heritage of the Huerta de Gandia.
Since the shift to drip irrigation, the physical decline of the heritage has been taking place at a rapid pace. We have never seen traditional water infrastructure in such a dire and crumbling condition, so close to being beyond repair.
At the start of each visit, we’d joke that, in a way, we were doing archaeology, since the Huerta de Gandia’s hydraulic network has been out of use for years. But now, plastics, debris, and overgrowth that topples walls are rapidly degrading the infrastructure, and no one is taking action to stop it.
Preserving our history and heritage should be the first step toward building a future grounded in the recognition of our identity. In this sense, it is evident that traditional irrigation has been the cornerstone of the Huerta de Gandia, collectively shaping the landscape and character of its towns.
This traditional irrigation system (flood irrigation), so easily replaced with questionable excuses, was practiced for centuries (or perhaps millennia) in the Huerta de Gandia. By utilizing surface water, it facilitated a complex and efficient network for collection, channeling, and distribution. Through splitters and pipes, crops were irrigated, and sugar mills and other mechanical applications were powered. This system also played—and could continue to play—a crucial ecological role by progressively recharging the coastal aquifer, thereby slowing and reducing seawater intrusion and maintaining the quality of drinking water.s The traditional irrigation system of the Huerta de Gandia was not wasteful; rather, it functioned as a sustainable, closed-loop system.
Due to the abandonment of traditional farming practices and the adoption of drip irrigation in the few remaining active fields, this system is falling into disuse. This decline coincides with increased groundwater extraction to meet human needs. In the context of climate change, this could have severe consequences for the future sustainability of our communities and their wells.
The value of our natural heritage and its deteriorating condition are significant concerns. Preserving and managing this heritage is crucial for our community’s future. The inactivity of the system leads to the deterioration of unique, efficient, and ancient infrastructures, all amidst collective indifference and the unsustainable superficiality of today’s society.
I wish we would collectively stop covering up ravines with plastic or carrying out environmental projects that inevitably end up abandoned, and instead direct our gaze towards what we have (or have always had). Recognizing the multifaceted value of this heritage and effectively managing it would be a vital long-term investment for our community.
Source: https://www.levante-emv.com/safor/2024/12/17/l-horta-gandia-espai-perill-112684100.html
Professor at Campus Gandia (UPV)
President of the Valencian Forestry Platform
