Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
Canal de Guma
The Canal de Guma, also known as the Canal de la Reina Victoria Eugenia, begins at the Guma mini-hydroelectric power station and traverses the province of Burgos until it reaches the towns of Berlangas de Roa and Hoyales de Roa.
The objective of the project is to provide water for the local cereal, sugar beet and maize crops. To achieve this, the waters of the Duero River are sourced from Guma, hence the name, and run parallel to the Duero River for a total of approximately 40 km. The route passes through the following towns: Vadocondes, Fresnillo de las Dueñas, Aranda de Duero, Castrillo de la Vega, Berlangas de Roa, Hoyales de Roa and Roa.
The canal project has a history of over a century, having been approved by the Ministry of Public Works in 1906 and put into operation in 1917. The project was viewed as ambitious at the time, given the limited technical and human resources available. The technology gained widespread approval from farmers, as it would allow the irrigation of large areas of crops that were previously impossible.
The current irrigation system is no longer considered an optimal solution due to its inefficient use of water resources. In this context, new agricultural and water management policies are designed to reinforce irrigation techniques with a more sustainable use of water. Considering these considerations, some potential solutions were explored, and a plan was devised to enhance the irrigation system in this region of Burgos. Therefore, the canal was divided into four distinct sectors, with regulation and storage basins connected to each. Additionally, three pumping stations were installed. The initiative benefited a total of 2,184 irrigators.
The combination of these factors represents a clear illustration of the evolution and sophistication of agricultural activities, which has resulted in significant advancements in agricultural production. This progress continues to be made today.