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The
drying out of the lagoon comes as Spain grapples with the third
heatwave of the summer, while emptying reservoirs have forced
water restrictions in parts of the country.
"Since we began collecting data on the area half a century ago,
this has never happened in two consecutive years, which shows
the seriousness of the situation facing the Donana lagoon system
and, with it, all the biodiversity that depends on it," the CSIC
said in a statement.
The Donana wetlands harbour many endemic and threatened species,
such as freshwater eels and turtles.
Most lagoons in Donana are temporary, meaning their basins fill
when flooded by rainwater from aquifers in the winter and then
dry out in the hotter months. But a few also contain water
during the summer, providing an important refuge for migratory
birds heading southward after breeding in northern Europe.
According to the researchers, Donana has seen in the past two
years the lowest precipitation levels in a decade and the
highest average annual temperature ever recorded, at 18.53
Celsius (65.35 Fahrenheit).
Donana's lagoons are not only threatened by the drought and
heat. They are also surrounded by a sea of greenhouses and a
complex system of pipes that take water from illegally drilled
wells for use by farmers growing red berries.
Andalusia's conservative regional government plans an amnesty
that would legalise additional irrigation around Donana,
prompting an outcry from environmentalists.
(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Alexandra
Hudson)
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