Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
Simancas
The Pisuerga river is part of the Duero river basin, which flows through the provinces of Palencia and Burgos until it reaches the Duero river at Geria in the province of Valladolid.
The river rises in the Covarrés glacier, in the province of Palencia, and flows through the Sel de la Fuente until it becomes underground. Subsequently, the riverbed reappears in the Palencia municipality of La Pernía, in the Cueva del Cobre, located in the Sierra de Peña Labra, in the north of the province. After a 287-kilometre journey, the river flows into the Duero River, leaving the municipality of Pesqueruela behind.
The river collects the waters of the Arlanza, Carrión, Ribera, Valdavia and Esgueva rivers along its course, and has two important reservoirs: the Requejada Reservoir in Cervera de Pisuerga and the Aguilar Reservoir in Aguilar de Campoo.
Its name comes from Pisóraca, an ancient city of the turmogos (from the Latin turmogi). This was an ancient pre-Roman people that occupied the Iberian Peninsula and established a settlement in what is now Herrera de Pisuerga, Palencia.
Although another etymological theory suggests that the name derives from an ancient name given to the river Pisuerga, Pisuraga, which meant marshes or places of water, this is not confirmed.
As for the flora, the riverbank is made up of a gallery forest composed of willows (Salix), alders (Alnus glutinosa), elms (Ulmus) and poplars (Populus), accompanied by aquatic and shrubby vegetation such as hawthorn (Craetaegus monogyna) and rose hips (Rosa canina).
The Pisuerga River has experienced a significant decline in recent decades due to the introduction of invasive species, currently numbering 16, which are endangering the riverbed ecosystem. American catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), catfish (Silurus glaris), pike (Esox lucius) or red crab (Procambarus clarkii) are some of them. While native species such as the barbel (Barbus barbus), the Duero bogue (Pseudochondrostoma duriense), the tench (Tinca tinca), the common redband (Anchondrostoma arcasii) or the common trout (Salmon trutta) can still be found.
The remaining fauna comprises over 162 species of birds, including the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), the coot (Fulica atra), and the little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis). The bird species observed included the heron (Ardeidae), the night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), the great tit (Parus major) and birds of prey such as the marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus).
Small mammals such as rats (Rattus), martens (Martes foina), weasels (Mustela nivalis), and others such as foxes (Vulpes vulpes), wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wolves (Canis lupus) live in the surrounding area.