This project prepares the removal of the obsolete Ibarrondo weir on the Ega River, contributing to the restoration of river connectivity within a Natura 2000 site.
The project is located on the upper Ega River in the Basque Country, northern Spain, within the Natura 2000 site Ega-Berron Ibaia/Río Ega-Berron (ES2110020). This river stretch has high ecological value and supports important aquatic and riparian habitats, including Habitat of Community Interest 92A0 (Salix alba and Populus alba gallery forests). It is also home to several protected species, such as the European mink (Mustela lutreola), otter (Lutra lutra), Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), madrilla (Parachondrostoma miegii), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), sand martin (Riparia riparia) and white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus).
Despite its ecological importance, this section of the Ega remains fragmented by artificial barriers that disrupt sediment transport, alter flow dynamics and limit the movement of aquatic and riparian species.
| Project status | Live |
|---|---|
| Project type | Dam removal: pre-demolition |
| Country | Spain |
| River | Ega |
| Focal species | Parachondrostoma miegii, Mustela lutreola, Lutra lutra, Galemys pyrenaicus, Salmo trutta |
| Organisation | Iberian Centre for River Restoration (CIREF) |
| Website | cirefluvial.com |
The Ibarrondo weir is an obsolete barrier that once supplied hydropower to a local flour mill but has been abandoned for decades. Its owners, a local family, have expressed their willingness to remove it and have requested support, although they do not have the financial means to carry out the works themselves.
This creates a valuable opportunity to advance river restoration with direct landowner support. The project builds on the successful removal of the Zúñiga Mill dam, located 8 km downstream and supported by the Open Rivers Programme. Between the two sites, an intermediate barrier remains at a fish farm that is still in operation, although with potential for future action.
The removal would reconnect approximately 8 km of upstream river, significantly increasing the length of accessible habitat and representing a key step in progressively improving connectivity along the upper Ega River.
The main goal of the project is to prepare a robust technical demolition design for the future removal of the obsolete Ibarrondo weir. This will provide the basis for authorisation procedures, future implementation and stakeholder coordination. The project also aims to strengthen social and institutional support for the removal, building on the positive experience gained through the Zúñiga dam project.
The expected outcome is a complete and feasible removal project that will enable the restoration of longitudinal connectivity in this section of the Ega River. Once implemented, the removal will reconnect 8 km of upstream river, improve sediment transport and flow dynamics, and support the recovery of aquatic and riparian habitats. It will also benefit protected species linked to the Natura 2000 site, including the European mink, otter and native fish populations.
More broadly, the project will contribute to a phased, catchment-scale strategy to restore a more free-flowing, ecologically functional Ega River.
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