Albufera Natural Park

The Albufera Natural Park (in Valencian Parc Natural de l'Albufera) or simply La Albufera (from the Arabic البحيرة al-Buḥayra, "the lake") is a Spanish protected natural area located in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community. It was referred to by the Romans as Nacarum Stagnum, and in some Arabic poems, it is referred to as "Mirror of the Sun".

La Albufera
L'Albufera
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Barraca, typical construction of the Albufera
Location in Spain
Location	Spain
Nearest city	Valencian Community
Coordinates	39.295736°N 0.333453°W / 39.295736; -0.333453
Area	21,120 ha
Established	July 8th, 1986
Visitors	30,000 (in 2007)
Governing body	Decreto 89/1986
Website	http://www.parquesnaturales.gva.es/va/web/pn-l-albufera
13 included Albal Albalat de la Ribera Alfafar Algemesí Beniparrell Catarroja Cullera Massanassa Sedaví Silla Sollana Sueca Valencia Natural parks SPA SAC

The park covers an area of 21,120 hectares, including the Albufera wetlands and the coastal zone adjacent to both, and it is located approximately 10 kilometers to the south of Valencia. On July 8, 1986, the Generalitat Valenciana designated the area a natural park.

On October 23, 1990, the Special Protection Plan document for the Natural Park was approved (subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court of Spain). Additionally, on May 16, 1995, Decree 96/1995 was approved, which in turn approved the Natural Resources Management Plan (PORN, Plan de Ordenación de los Recursos Naturales) of the Albufera Hydrographic Basin. On November 19, 2004, the Council of the Generalitat Valenciana approved Decree 259/2004, which established the Albufera Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG, Plan Rector de Uso y Gestión).

In 1902, the Valencian writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez published the novel Cañas y barro, which is set in the Albufera region at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Albufera of Valencia is a shallow coastal lagoon with an average depth of 1 m and situated on the Mediterranean coast to the south of the city of Valencia. It occupies an area of 23.94 km² and is surrounded by 223 km² of rice fields. The Albufera's hydrographic basin encompasses an area of 917.1 km², spanning from sea level to an altitude of approximately 1,000 meters above mean sea level. It is separated from the sea by a narrow sandy coastal bar, known as a restinga, which is stabilized by a pine forest, specifically the Dehesa de Saler. It serves as a migratory corridor for numerous avian species.

The Albufera is an important ecological area that supports endangered species like the fartet and the samaruc. It is also one of the few lagoons in the Valencian Community that has been preserved. The region's coastline used to have many lagoons and marshes. Some of these can still be seen, including the Marsh of Pego-Oliva, the Marsh of Jaraco, the Marsh of Rafalell and Vistabella, the Marjal del Moro in Puzol-Sagunto, and the Marsh of Almenara.

Geography

Municipalities

The Albufera natural park is subdivided into four regions or comarcas: Ribera Alta, Ribera Baixa, Horta Sud, and the City of Valencia. These four comarcas encompass 13 municipalities, many of which contain districts within the park.

Sign indicating the location of the park.

Comarca	Municipality	District
Valencia	Valencia	Castellar-Oliveral, El Palmar, El Perellonet, Pinedo and El Saler
Horta Sud	Albal
	Alfafar	El Tremolar
	Beniparrell
	Catarroja	Puerto de Catarroja
	Massanassa
	Sedaví
	Silla
Ribera Alta	Algemesí
Ribera Baixa	Albalat de la Ribera
	Cullera	Mareny de Sant Llorenç and Marenyet
	Sollana	El Romaní
	Sueca	Mareny Blau, Mareny de Barraquetes, Mareny de Vilches, Les Palmeres, El Perelló, El Pouet and Vega de Mar

Communication routes

Catarroja port.

The main access road to the park is the El Saler highway (V-15), which starts in Valencia and runs north-south through the park to the Valencian town of El Saler, where it continues as a conventional road to Sueca (CV-500) and connects in Les Palmeres to the CV-502, which leads to Cullera. Another access road to the northern part of the park is the CV-401, which runs from the Alfafar industrial estate to El Saler.

The N-332 road runs southwest of the park, from Sollana to Sueca, although it is currently being converted into the Valencia-Almería motorway along the coast. Other important roads are the urban roads of Silla (V-31) and the southern ring road of Valencia (V-30), which form the artificial border of the park.

In addition to these roads, the Albufera Natural Park is also crossed by numerous rural and drovers' roads that connect the different areas of the park and the different towns in the region. There are also several river ports, such as those of Catarroja, El Tremolar, Silla and Sollana, as well as piers in El Palmar and El Saler.

Climate

Silla port.

Satellite image of the Albufera.

The climate is Mediterranean, with mild temperatures and an average annual humidity of 65%. The average temperature is 17.8 °C, with a range from 11.5 °C in January to 25.5 °C in August, as illustrated in the table below.

The annual precipitation is 454 mm. Such precipitation events are typically of significant intensity and concentrated during the autumn season, a phenomenon known as the "cold drop".

	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Year
Average temperature	11.5	12.6	13.9	15.5	18.4	22.1	24.9	25.5	23.1	19.1	14.9	12.4	17.8
Maximum temperature	16.1	17.2	18.7	20.2	22.8	26.2	29.1	29.6	27.6	23.6	19.5	16.8	22.3
Minimum temperature	7.0	7.9	9.0	10.8	14.1	17.9	20.8	21.4	18.6	14.5	10.4	8.1	13.4
Rainfall	36	32	35	37	34	23	9	19	51	74	51	52	454
Humidity	63	61	61	60	65	65	66	68	67	66	65	65	65

	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Year
Rainy days	4	3	4	5	5	3	1	2	4	5	4	5	44
Snowy days	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stormy days	0	0	1	1	2	2	2	3	3	2	1	0	18
Foggy days	1	2	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	1	1	10
Frosty days	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sunny days	9	6	7	5	5	8	13	10	7	6	7	7	91
Sunshine hours	169	169	212	229	256	271	314	285	237	201	167	150	2660

Hydrography

Rambla del Poyo in Chiva.

The basin discharges into the Albufera through a network of ravines or wadis. The most significant ones are: The Rambla del Poyo (also known as the Torrente ravine, the Massanassa ravine, or the Chiva ravine), with a basin area of 367.6 km², constitutes approximately 40% of the total basin area; the Barranco de Picasent (also known as the Beniparrell ravine) has a basin area of 23 km²; and the Barranc dels Algadins has a basin area of 23 km², with the majority of its basin located in the municipality of Alginet, although it also traverses the municipality of Algemesí. In the municipality of Algemesí, the course of the ravine becomes indistinct, and it assumes the characteristics of an acequia, which drains into the Albufera.

The Albufera has its own hydrological basin, but it provides only a small amount of water. Most of the water comes from the Júcar and Turia rivers. In this sense, the Albufera is an integral part of the Júcar river's hydrological scheme. It also gets water from irrigation through a network of sixty-three acequias. The acequias also collect wastewater from surrounding municipalities, including El Romaní. The acequia of the Vega de Valencia receives the Turia river after Acequia Real de Moncada, using the residual flows and runoff, which is then sent to the acequia del Oro and the irrigated lands of Francos and Marjales of the Albufera of Valencia.

The network of acequias that run through the rice fields also collect water from the springs that emerge from the bottom and the surrounding areas of the lagoon. These waters are augmented by wastewater from the Pinedo, Quart-Benager, and Albufera Sur treatment plants.

Acequias

The area has had an important network of acequias and canals since Roman and Muslim times. The Acequia Real del Júcar provides water to most of the orchards and rice fields around the Albufera. Its average flow during irrigation is 15 m³/s. It drains into the Albufera through different channels, including l'Alqueresia, Barranquet, La Foia, and Nova de Silla, ending in the Albal acequia.

Pumping water from the Júcar to irrigate the rice fields of Sueca.

In contrast, the Sueca mother acequia provides irrigation water to rice fields in the southern Albufera region. Its average flow during irrigation periods is 13 m³/s, reaching the Albufera through the Nova acequia, which ends in the Dreta acequia.

The Acequia de Favara is one of eight acequias in the Vega de Valencia (under the jurisdiction of the Water Tribunal of the plain of Valencia). It irrigates the fields on the right bank of the old Turia River. This acequia ends at the Port of Catarroja, where it joins the Acequia de Rovella and the rice fields of the northwest of the Albufera of Valencia. The Acequia del Oro is the last acequia in the Horta of Valencia. It irrigates the lands on the right bank of the Turia river between the river bed and the Mediterranean Sea. These lands are primarily rice fields in the northern part of the Albufera Natural Park. The Acequia del Oro ends its waters in the Albufera through the El Saler Port's canal and the Rabisanxo acequia.

History

Formation

The formation of Albufera dates back to the beginning of the Pleistocene. It can be attributed to the closure of an ancient bay caused by the subsidence of the Valencian plain. The closure was caused by the formation of a wide headland between the rivers Júcar and Turia, between Valencia and Cullera (about 30 km). The definitive separation of the Albufera from the sea occurred during the Roman period, when the surface of the lake was approximately 30,000 hectares. However, over the years it has undergone significant clogging and shrunk to 2,800 hectares due to human activities, especially rice cultivation.

Antiquity

Street and canal in El Palmar.

The city of Cicana (Sueca) was named by the Iberians after the Sicano river, which is also known as the Júcar. The Turia river, which is located in close proximity to the confluence of the Sicano and Júcar rivers, encircles the city of Valencia. The land slopes away from the sea for a considerable distance, presenting a vista of uncultivated terrain. (....). The Capasia mountain range runs behind it, featuring a considerable elevation. The beaches devoid of vegetation extend to the ruins of Chersoneso. Next to them is the lake of the mother-of-pearl (the Albufera), and in the middle of it rises a small island (the Montaña de los Santos) that produces olive trees. This island is consecrated to Minerva due to the presence of olive trees.

Middle and Modern Age

During the Islamic period in the Peninsula, the Emir of Zaragoza, Mostahim, was granted the Albufera as a reward for his alliance with El Cid in the capture of Valencia.

The practice of fishing was formally recognized by the governing authorities in the year 1250, when a group of individuals from the town of Ruzafa (present-day Valencia) relocated to the island of El Palmar and established a permanent settlement there. The fishermen sought a more convenient and comfortable method of fishing. Over time, this practice was acknowledged and permitted in the towns of Silla and Catarroja. King Jaime I was so impressed by this development that he decreed that, "despite being considered external to the kingdom and beyond the city of Valencia's boundaries, they would be permitted to remain attached to the prince's estate".

In 1250, following the inclusion of Morella in the Crown's assets, a privilege was issued on January 21. This granted any individual the right to fish in the lake, provided that a fifth part was paid.

Edicts on the Albufera can be found with concessions or ratifications from virtually all the kings, including Peter I, John II, Alfonso II, Martin I, Ferdinand I, Charles I, Philip II and Philip IV, among others.

In 1671, entry into the Albufera, its boundaries, and the Dehesa was prohibited. The account of the fauna indicates that it was largely preserved. Charles III further modified the ordinances, allowing the leasing of hunting posts. Two posts, Uchana and Rinconcito, were reserved for the Captain general, while two days per year were allocated for hunting by other individuals.

Contemporary Age

Portrait of Louis Gabriel, of the Duke of Albufera, by Delpech, 1830.

In the 19th century, evidence showed how the Albufera conditions influenced the French invaders. Joseph Bonaparte, at his own request, conferred upon Marshal Suchet the title of Duke of the Albufera. Until 1818, Suchet was the proprietor of the lake and its environs. That year marked King Ferdinand VII's restoration to the Spanish throne.

The lake began to narrow in the second third of the 9th century as a result of the practice of burying the lake, particularly for the purpose of growing rice. This process was accompanied by a gradual reduction in the fauna, with only small game remaining.

On May 12, 1865, the lake and the Dehesa were formally transferred to state ownership, marking the conclusion of over six centuries of royal tenure. In 1911, the city of Valencia acquired ownership of both the lake and the Dehesa, thus conferring upon all Valencians the status of proprietors of this natural area of considerable ecological, environmental, and landscape value. However, the final transfer of title was not completed until 1927, at a cost of 1,062,980.40 pesetas.

In the mid-20th century, a project was initiated to build the Valencia airport in the vicinity of Dehesa, and to relocate the flights that were conducted at Malvarrosa. However, due to unforeseen foundation issues, the location was ultimately relocated to the current site in Manises.

In 1962, the Valencia City Council authorized the drafting of a plan for the urbanization of the Montaña de la Dehesa. Simultaneously, the council ceded land to the Ministry of Information and Tourism for the construction of a Parador hotel and the location of a golf course. In 1967, the Saler Management Plan was approved by the municipality, thereby initiating the urbanization process. In 1971, the government granted 63 hectares to a private company for the operation of a horse racing facility.

Although there had already been reports by the Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Royal Spanish Society of Natural History), which pointed out the concern for the future of the natural environment of the Albufera, it was not until the early 1970s that the first public controversies arose, with the accusations made on television by Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente. As a result, and because of the response from biologists, journalists and the nascent ecology movement, the City Council suspended the land auctions in 1973. In 1974, the City Council reduced the planned construction area by half.

During the transition period, political forces and neighborhood associations advocated for the public utilization of the Albufera and the Dehesa. Of the 852 hectares initially planned, only 40 were developed for road infrastructure. With the advent of democratic city councils in 1979, there was a notable shift towards a more protectionist and conservationist policy.

Environmental and landscape units

Artificial lake, Dehesa del Saler.

Dehesa del Saler beach.

Dehesa del Saler

The Dehesa del Saler, located in the wide area between the mouths of the rivers Turia and Júcar, is part of the primitive foreland that caused the closure of the Albufera of Valencia. It is currently one of the most interesting coastal phenomena of the Iberian Peninsula, both for its extension and for being one of the few marshy depositional environments still functional.

A significant element influencing the evolution of the coastline is the longshore drift, which predominantly follows a north–south trajectory and is sufficiently strong to transport sediments carried by rivers. Aeolian processes also contribute to the formation of dunes and the expansion of the restinga that separates the sea from the lake. The restinga has been formed in two stages. Initially, the marsh and dune field closest to the Albufera were formed, followed by the development of the maritime dune field and beaches in the subsequent period, which commenced during the Bronze Age.

The Albufera originally communicated with the sea through one or more wide mouths (gullies in Valencian), which occasionally drained the continental waters of the lake and at other times allowed brackish sea waters to flow in. Currently, the Albufera is connected to the sea through three channels: the Puchol gully, the Perellonet gully, and the Perelló gully.

Intradune depressions (malladas)

The two sets of dunes are interspersed with occasional depressions, which are distinguished by their poorly permeable soils and the proximity of the water table to the surface. The malladas and salt marshes have been subjected to anthropic degradation processes, including silting, desiccation and drainage, which have had a considerable impact on their condition. Despite this, some malladas remain in a relatively good condition, exhibiting a distinctive fauna and flora. These include the Spanish toothcarp and the Valencian samaruc.

Marshlands

Rice fields in the marshland.

The marshlands are a former lake area that has been dedicated to rice cultivation. The 14,000 hectares of the park represent the largest area of the floodable, flat terrain within the park, forming an agricultural landscape with great historical significance in the Valencian context. Despite the anthropized nature of the environment and the intensive exploitation to which the rice fields are subject, they constitute an essential habitat for the functioning of the Albufera's ecological system and a traditional economic activity of the region's population.

The rice field introduces a clear seasonal aspect to the entire system, with alternating flooding and dessication of the fields and plant growth. This considerably affects the size and characteristics of the flooded area. From an ecological perspective, the flooded area can be conceptualized as a temporary lagoon that floods in autumn and dries out in spring, as well as a cultivation area in summer.

Springs (ullals)

An ullal (spring).

The ullals are the springs that can be found along the marshes of the Albufera. These springs are home to native fauna such as the Spanish toothcarp and the Valencian samaruc, as well as aquatic, marsh and riverside vegetation. In this regard, the main values of the ullals are the presence of invertebrates endemic to the park, a freshwater aquatic vegetation of the most well-preserved in the peninsula, the habitat of several endangered fish and the primary source of clean water that drains into the lake.

The marsh is home to approximately 50 springs, which may be in varying states of conservation. Some springs, such as the Ullal Gros (large spring), the Ullal de Baldoví, the Laguna del Samaruc, and the Ullals de Senillera, are in a highly preserved state and host populations of endangered plant and animal species. In contrast, the springs located in the municipalities of the Horta Sud are severely degraded.

Lake

Boats on the lake.

The lake extends about 10 kilometers from the city of Valencia to the southeast. It is the largest in the country, is separated from the sea by a dune cordon settled by the roots of a number of pines, adapted to this situation, and a large abundance of low scrub. Formerly the crystal clear waters allowed to see the bottom, and its waters were consumed without problems by fishermen, especially in the ullals.

Still today we can enjoy the boats propelled by lateen sails, and by the so-called "perchas" (elongated pole with which the boatman propelled the boat resting on the floor of the lake) or oars, today also with engine, these boats are among the oldest in their way of sailing, as the VELA LATINA is one of the oldest known forms of navigation. During the season of better weather, the different associations of Vela Latina, such as Catarroja, El Palmar, Silla or Sollana, offer sailing exhibitions on Saturdays.

Currently the lake has been reduced to about a third of what it was in the 19th century, when it reached Valencia, known as Cruz de la Conquista, and extended to Sueca, to a place called the Montanyeta dels Sants. Already at the beginning of the 20th century its surface had been reduced to 7 by 6 kilometers from the 17 by 6 of 100 years before. Pérez Escrich stated that in 1930 it was 9 leagues in circumference.

The Sierra de las Zorras, Cullera.

This allowed it to be an efficient means of communication between the different towns and the capital, with regular transport.

In 1909, Emilio Sarzo, in his book of aquatic hunting, the Albufera and the metal fabrication, tells that the depth was very uneven, being in some places the aquatic plants very close to the surface and in other places there were 3 or 4 fathoms deep. At present, the Albufera is in a period of silting up, due to the numerous contributions it receives from the ravines on its western side. Its average depth is less than one meter, although at some points it can reach 130 centimeters.

El Monte

El Monte, although it is scarcely represented, it is worth mentioning the reliefs of Cretaceous origin located in the municipality of Cullera (El Cabezol and Montaña de los Zorros) and in the municipality of Sueca (Montaña de los Santos).

The main environmental value lies in its role as a scenic landmark. El Monte represents an islet of arboreal vegetation of singular beauty in the middle of the homogeneous plain of the marshland, standing out on the horizon from any corner of the park.

Ecology

Vegetation

European fan palm (Chamaerops).

The plant species that exist in the Dehesa are included in the following communities: coastal dunes, salt marshes, maquis and Mediterranean forest, and marsh formations.

In the case of the coastal dunes (closer to the sea), the presence of pioneer species typical of mobile dunes such as dune grass or sea bells and fixed dunes such as aladern or mastic stands out.

Salts accumulate in the malladas, so the plants that live here are adapted to the high salt concentrations, hence the name salt marshes. They are usually succulent plants, such as cordgrass and saltwort.

The Maquis and the Mediterranean forest is made up of tree and shrub species such as Baltic pine, French tamarisk, mastic, cade juniper and kermes oak, as well as myrtle, thyme, gorse, rosemary, Micromeria graeca and European fan palm.

In the last place, always in contact with the Albufera lake and the different canals and acequias, marsh communities develop, among which reeds, bulrushes, sedges and beachgrass predominate, which sink their roots in the fresh water or wet mud.

Fauna

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus).

The lake has a great diversity of animals in its environment. Although some fish species stand out, such as the spanish toothcarp and the samaruc, for being two endangered fish species, the recent appearance of the slimy fish Blennius fluviatilis, and the eel, mullet and seabass for their economic importance.

Although this park is undoubtedly known for its extraordinary wealth of bird life, the red-crested pochard with up to 10,000 specimens, the northern shoveler with up to 20,000 specimens, and the mallard duck stand out among the anatidae.

Also noteworthy are the colonies of herons, being able to highlight the cattle egret, the squacco heron or the grey heron.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the presence of species such as the common tern, the sandwich tern, the common stilt, the marbled duck or the gull.

Samaruc reserves

The samaruc is a fish native to the Iberian Mediterranean coast that is in danger of extinction due to the destruction of its habitat, so a series of reserves have been created in which this small fish is bred. The reserves, located in the area of Albufera Natural Park, are distributed throughout the marsh area of the park, regenerated springs.

These reserves are also trying to recover other organisms, the white waterlily, the utricularia australis (a carnivorous plant), the Marsilea quadrifolia, the purple loosestrife, etc. Other animal species to be recovered are the Spanish toothcarp, the cobitis paludica (mossegadoret) and the shrimp gabacha. The main reserve of the samaruc is the artificial ullal that has been created in the municipality of Algemesí, in the Partida del Barranquet.

Traditional activities

Hunting

In the shallow areas known as alterons is where the shooting posts are located, as hunting is one of the historical activities of the area. Some chroniclers point out that already in the Muslim period it was a royal hunting area, and later, after the conquest, it became the property of Jaime I and his successors.

Such was the richness of the area between Grao de Valencia and Cullera, that according to the Valencian botanist Cavanilles and other chroniclers of different times, there were abundant deer, wild boars, mountain goats, francolins, partridges, hares, rabbits, otters and up to sixty varieties of waterfowl, as well as an enormous quantity of fish. As "A corner of Paradise" it was defined in the middle of the 13th century.

Hunting outside the boundaries of the lake is relatively recent, having as a precedent the annual shoot that was held in the Laguna de San Lorenzo of Cullera since 1830; this shoot was held at the end of November, and shooting was prohibited from September 1 to allow the number of birds in the area to recover.

Currently, hunting is practiced in the "vedados" regime in Sueca, Cullera and Silla, with eight shootings each season on Saturdays, between the end of November and mid-January. The Sollana fenced area deserves special mention, since its importance was greater than that of Silla; however, no more shoots are carried out there. Traditionally, at the end of the runs in the "vedados", the càbiles were held, in which hunting took place for eight or ten consecutive days and any member of the hunting societies in their respective preserve could participate.

The hunting structure of the park, the hunting preserves, has a rice field area of 13 259 hectares, of which 4201 correspond to the "vedados".

Fishing

Traditional fisherman of the Albufera.

The Muslims were already exploiting the fish wealth of the Albufera. After the Reconquest, the various Aragonese and Spanish monarchs who owned the Albufera also obtained their benefits by keeping a fifth of everything that was fished in the lake. In 1857 the fishing activity began to be regulated in a more orderly way and in accordance with the times. The first treaties were signed with the different fishing guilds in the area to ensure that taxes were paid in cash and not in kind.

Today, as a result of the excessive exploitation and pollution of the waters, and the inadequate regulation of the Pujol floodgates that prevent the natural exchange of species with the sea, fishing activity is maintained only by the striped bass. The other two species, eel and sea bass, have been progressively disappearing.

Agriculture

Tillage work in the rice fields in the marshlands, Sueca.

The agriculture of the Albufera is mainly rice. The Albufera has evolved together with this crop since times even before Jaime I (since rice was introduced by the Arabs). In the Albufera, the cultivation of rice has been prohibited and authorized several times since the 15th century, since the need for large areas with stagnant water was a dangerous source of infection for the population.

The procedure used to raise the level of the land and put it under cultivation consisted of first making a mota or margin of land that protruded from the level of the lake, delimiting the plot from the rest of the lake. Afterwards, boats (albuferencs) were used to carry the mud until the land was sufficiently elevated on the plot to make it suitable for rice cultivation.

The rice produced in the natural park is almost entirely of the type called "redondo" or "bomba", mainly the bahía variety.

However, there was also another activity, which consisted of obtaining mud from the bottom of the lagoon, which was used for construction. The process was tedious and laborious, since a kind of hoe with a handle long enough to reach the bottom of the lagoon was used. This material was transported to the city through the canals that flowed inland from the lagoon.

Environmental problems

The Albufera, like all wetlands, are very sensitive areas, and are therefore seriously affected by various problems such as water pollution, the disturbance of the water regime –mainly in relation to the springs–, the silting up of the marshes, urbanization in the dune system, the industrial pressure around the park -mainly in the municipalities of Horta Sud and the city of Valencia-, the negative impacts generated by the various infrastructures, such as roads or the port of Valencia, as well as by the negative impacts of the different infrastructures, such as roads or the port of Valencia, the industrial pressure around the park –mainly in the municipalities of the Horta Sud and the city of Valencia–, the negative impacts generated by the different infrastructures, such as highways or the port of Valencia, as well as by the increase in tourist and recreational pressure. All this has caused the water in the Albufera to become 80% more turbid than it was years ago.

See also

• Camino de Santiago
• Valencia
• List of Ramsar sites in Spain

Bibliography

• Segura Beltrán, Francisca; Pardo Pascual, Josep; Sanjaume Saumell, Eulalia; López García, María José (1992). "Tasas de sedimentación en L'Albufera de València". Cuadernos de geografía (in Spanish). 51: 63–81. ISSN 0210-086X.
• Soria, J.M. (1997). Estudio limnológico de los ecosistemas acuáticos del Parque Natural de la Albufera de Valencia (in Spanish). Universidad de Valencia. Retrieved October 30, 2016.

Further reading

• Docavo Alberti, Ignacio (1979). La Albufera de Valencia: Sus peces y sus aves (Ictiofauna y Avifauna) (in Spanish). Instituto Valenciano de Biología Aplicada; Institución Alfonso El Magnánimo. ISBN 84-00-04426-6.
• Carrasco, J.M.; Planta, M. (1985). Contaminación de La Albufera de Valencia por plaguicidas utilizados en el cultivo del arroz (in Spanish). Vol. 25. Revista de agroquímica y tecnología de alimentos. pp. 144–148. ISSN 0034-7698.
• García Perales, Vicent; Soennecken, Heike (2011). La albufera de Valencia: Estudio del habla y la cultura popular (in Spanish). Denes. ISBN 978-84-92768-81-3.
• Navarro, Enrique (2008). La biomasa de la Albufera, aprovechamiento y corrección de impactos (in Spanish). Aleta. ISBN 978-84-96992-18-4.
• Tortosa, Paco; Prósper, Pepa (2009). La Albufera: Guía para descubrir el parque natural (in Spanish). Universitat de València. ISBN 978-84-370-7399-6.

External links

• Albufera Natural Park (in Spanish)
• Albufera Natural Park in Valencia Turisme (in Spanish)
• Albufera Natural Park Video (in Spanish)
• Albufera Natural Park. Unofficial page. Dissemination and information about this unique natural environment. (in Spanish)