View source for Segura (river)

{{Short description|River in Spain}}
{{About|1=the Spanish river|2=other uses|3=Segura (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox river
  | name              = Segura 
  | image             = Murcia - Puente Viejo.jpg
  | image_caption     = The Segura River, at its passage by Murcia city. In the background Murcia's oldest bridge ([[Puente de los Peligros]])
  | map               = Segura.png
  | map_caption       = Course of the Segura
  | source1           = Fuente Segura, [[Sierra de Segura]]
  | source1_location  = [[Jaén (Spanish province)|Jaén]]
  | mouth             = [[Mediterranean Sea]]
  | mouth_location    = [[Guardamar del Segura]], [[Alicante (province)|Alicante]]
  | subdivision_type1 = Country
  | subdivision_name1 = [[Spain]]
  | length            = {{convert|325|km|abbr=on}}
  | source1_elevation = {{convert|1,413|m|abbr=on}}
  | mouth_elevation   = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}}
  | discharge1_avg    = Cieza: {{convert|26.3|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
  | basin_size        = {{convert|19,525|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
}}
[[File:Nacimiento del río Segura 24J 01.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Source of the Segura River.]]
[[File:Segura-vega-alta.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The ''Vega Alta del Segura'' near [[Calasparra]], Murcia, famous for its rice.]]
[[File:Orihuela-zentrum-061014.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The ''Vega Baja del Segura'' in Orihuela, Alicante.]]

'''Segura''' (<small>Spanish and Valencian:</small> {{IPA|es|seˈɣuɾa||Pronunciation of Segura in Spanish.ogg}}; {{langx|la|Thader}}; {{langx|ar|شقورة|Shaqūrah}}, or {{lang|ar|وادي الأبيض}} {{Transliteration|ar|Wādī l-Abyaḍ}}) is a medium-sized [[river]] in southeastern [[Spain]]. It has its source in the [[Sierra de Segura]].

==Course==
The 325-km (202&nbsp;mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones ([[Jaén Province, Spain|province of Jaén]]), passes [[Calasparra]], [[Cieza, Murcia|Cieza]], [[Blanca, Murcia]], [[Beniaján]] ([[Region of Murcia]]), [[Orihuela]], [[Rojales]], and flows into the [[Mediterranean Sea]] near [[Guardamar del Segura]] in the [[province of Alicante]]. Some of its tributaries are the [[Mundo River|Mundo]] (which starts near [[Riópar]]), the [[Alhárabe River|Alhárabe]] (which starts in [[Moratalla, Murcia|Moratalla]]), the [[Mula (Spain)|Mula]], and the [[Guadalentín River|Guadalentín]].

The [[alluvial plain]] is called the ''Vega del Segura'' and is a very productive agricultural region growing a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.  The ''Vegas'' are divided into three areas: ''Alta'', ''Media'', and ''Baja'' (upper, medium, and lower).

=== Tributaries ===
The Segura's main tributaries are:
{|
|-
|
{{col-float}}
'''Right''' bank:
* [[Zumeta]]
* River [[Taibilla]], 2,95 m³/s
* River [[Alhárabe]], 0,20 m³/s
** Río Benamor
* [[Río Argos]], 0,50 m³/s
* Río Quípar, 0,79 m³/s
* [[River Mula]], 5,10 m³/s
** River [[Pliego]]
* [[Arroyo (watercourse)|Rambla]] Salada
* River [[Guadalentín]], also called Sangonera or Regueron, 1,35 m³/s
** Rambla Bosch
** Rambla Nogalte
** River Luchena
** River Turrilla
** Rambla Torrealvilla
{{col-float-break}}
'''Left''' bank:
* River Madera
* River [[Tus (river)|Tus]], 0,15 m³/s
* River [[Mundo (river)|Mundo]], 20,42 m³/s
** River [[Bogarra]]
* [[Arroyo (watercourse)|Rambla]] Judío
* Rambla Moro
* Rambla Tinajón
* Rambla [[Abanilla]]
{{col-float-end}}
|}

===Recovery===

By the 1990s, the Segura had become one of the most polluted rivers in [[Europe]],<ref name="elpais">{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/02/14/eps/1392384158_590015.html|title=Enclaves naturales que han vuelto a la vida|last1=Méndez |first1=Rafael |date=16 February 2014 |newspaper=El País |publisher=El País Semanal |accessdate=18 October 2018}}</ref> due to the [[canning]] industry and urban and agricultural residues originating in the densely populated area in the medium and lower areas of the basin.<ref name="elpais"/> This fact combined with low or extreme low flows in the same areas –the agricultural use of water and summer drought could reduce the mean discharge to just around 2 to 3 m{{sup|3}}/s in Murcia city– made it more difficult to dilute [[pollutant]]s.

Public outcry peaked in 2001, with a demonstration gathering 40,000 people.<ref name="elpais"/> A comprehensive action plan followed, the Segura River Project, developed by the [[Region de Murcia|Murcia Government's]] Regional Water Department, in partnership with the Segura River Authority (CHS) and town councils in the region, to restore the health of the Segura River and to supply reclaimed water to the booming agriculture industry. Between 2001 and 2010, 100 water treatment plants and 350 kilometres of wastewater collection systems were built. In addition, a wastewater reclamation levy was established to finance the operation, maintenance and monitoring of these systems, applying the principle "the polluter pays".<ref name="2016 European Riverprize finalists">[http://riverfoundation.org.au/riverprize_european.php 2016 European Riverprize finalists]</ref>

By 2003, the quality of the Segura's water started improving. Since 2010, pollution has been unnoticeable, leading to the recovery of fauna and flora including increased otter population in parts of the river they had once abandoned. Birds now rest at two recovered wetland areas recognised by the [[Ramsar Convention]], during their migration between Europe and Africa. In addition, around 110 million m{{sup|3}} of reclaimed water is reused annually for agriculture in the region.<ref name="2016 European Riverprize finalists"/>

With the river coming back to life, by 2013, [[eurasian otter|otters]] and [[eel]]s –both species particularly sensitive to water pollutants– had repopulated large tracts of the river where they had been absent for decades.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europapress.es/murcia/noticia-anse-afirma-nutrias-colonizan-todo-rio-segura-murcia-adentran-provincia-alicante-20130914095953.html|title=ANSE afirma que las nutrias "colonizan todo el Río Segura en Murcia y se adentran en la provincia de Alicante"|date=14 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="elpais"/>

As of 2015, the Segura River Project is a finalist for the 2016 European Riverprize Awards, organized by the International River Foundation. This recognizes the fact that the Segura went from being one of the most polluted major rivers in Europe to being the Spanish river with the lowest average pollution (considering the average of all tracts of the river) in the span of just one decade.<ref>[https://www.elmundo.es/comunidad-valenciana/2015/11/04/5639e138e2704ed16f8b4658.html El río Segura, de aquellos lodos estos galardones, El Mundo]</ref>

===Average discharge===

{| class="wikitable" align="center"
|+ 
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Place !! Discharge
|-
| Cenajo || align="right" |17.1 m{{sup|3}}/s
|-
| [[Cieza, Spain|Cieza]] || align="right" |26.3 m{{sup|3}}/s
|-
| [[Orihuela]] || align="right" |5 m{{sup|3}}/s
|-
| [[Guardamar del Segura]] || align="right" |1 m{{sup|3}}/s
|}

==Floods==
The Segura is usually in a state of semi-permanent [[drought]], however, now and then, it does occasionally [[flood]] as the consequence of the torrential rains ([[cold drop]]), which typically take place once every 6–9 years approximately, always in Autumn and Spring.

The [[Guadalentín]] river, a [[tributary]] of the Segura, is the wildest European river.

In the twentieth century significant flooding occurred in 1946, 1948, 1973, 1982, 1987 and 1989. Since 1990 the lower reaches of the river have been canalized, removing meanders and hence improving the evacuation of flood waters.  The new canal was put to the test in September 1997, in October 2000, in December 2016 and September 2019, when heavy rainfall resulted in significant runoff.

===Segura floods in Murcia and Orihuela===

{| class="wikitable" align="center"
|+ 
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Date !! Murcia!! Orihuela
|-
| October, 1651 || align="right" |1.700 m{{sup|3}}/s ||
|-
| October, 1834 || align="right" |1.000 m{{sup|3}}/s ||
|-
| 15 October 1879 (Santa Teresa flood)|| align="right" |1.890 m{{sup|3}}/s || align="right" |2.000 m{{sup|3}}/s
|-
| April, 1946 || align="right" |1.187 m{{sup|3}}/s  || align="right" |1.138 m{{sup|3}}/s
|-
| October, 1948 || align="right" |934 m{{sup|3}}/s  || align="right" |1.172 m{{sup|3}}/s
|-
| November, 1987 ||  || align="right" |1.000 m{{sup|3}}/s
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of rivers of Spain]]
* [[Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park]]
* [[La Vicaria Arch Bridge]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Segura}}
{{Coord|38|5|47.17|N|0|40|32.37|W|source:cawiki_region:ES-VC_type:river|display=title}}
* [https://www.chsegura.es Segura's river basin body "Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura"] {{in lang|es}}
* [https://www.chsegura.es/chs_en/informaciongeneral/elorganismo/unpocodehistoria/riadas2.html Chronology of the main floods occurred in the river basin, beginning with Santa Teresa flood]. {{in lang|en}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Spain]]
[[Category:Murcia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Andalusia]]
[[Category:Floods in Spain]]
[[Category:Water in Spain]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Valencian Community]]