• Only surpassed by the 2000/2001 hydrological year
• The months of October, November, March, and September can be highlighted as “very wet”; February, May, and June as “wet”; December, January, April, and July as “normal”; and only August as “very dry”
• The reservoirs of the Demarcation closed the hydrological year at 63.71% of their maximum capacity

Ourense, October 1, 2024.- The Confederación Hidrográfica del Miño-Sil, an autonomous body under the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, provides an overview of the 2023-2024 hydrological year, which stands out as the second wettest since 1980-81. In this regard, the months of October, November, March, and September can be considered very wet; February, May, and June as wet; December, January, April, and July as normal; and only August as very dry.

Precipitation Levels
The 2023/24 hydrological year began with heavy rainfall, with the cumulative totals for October and November being the highest in the historical series, leading to the most significant flood events of the period.

Since early December, rainfall has been abundant but distributed both spatially and temporally, leading to low-impact events that avoid material damage and favor the recharge of the water reserve in the Demarcation, i.e., the percentage of water stored in reservoirs, piezometric levels, and river flow rates, which remained above the average for most of the year.

Regarding the distribution of precipitation across the different territories of the Demarcation, the year has been very wet in all territorial units (Upper Miño, Lower Miño, Cabe, Upper Sil, and Lower Sil), except for A Limia, which recorded the highest rainfall in the historical series, thus classifying the year as extremely wet.

Reservoirs
At the close of the hydrological year, the reservoirs are at 63.71% of their maximum capacity. This volume is 3.90% higher than the amount of water stored one year ago (59.81%), and 9.40% higher than the historical average fill for this time of year (54.31%).

The current volume represents the second-highest value in the historical series (1999/00 – 2022/23), only behind the 2009 hydrological year, which had a fill of 65.52% at the end of the year. The high precipitation allowed the water reserves to reach maximum levels during different periods of the year: November, May, and from late July to mid-September.

Flows and Contributions
Regarding the flowing water in the Demarcation, as of September 30, the average is 80% above the historical average. At the close of the previous hydrological year, it was 30%.

As for the piezometric levels in our groundwater, the year closed at values practically equal to the average, 0.2% below the mean.

“These high precipitation levels were well-distributed both temporally and territorially, which has contributed to increased recharge of our groundwater, filling of the reservoirs, and an increase in the flowing water of our rivers; these circumstances improve the state of surface and groundwater bodies, preventing their deterioration and enabling the supply of water for various socioeconomic uses, which are the main objectives of hydrological planning,” summarized Carlos Ruiz del Portal, head of the Hydrological Planning Office.