On May 23, 2022, the President of the Segura O.A. Hydrographic Confederation, in accordance with the provisions of article 10.2 of Royal Decree 903/2010, of July 9, on flood risk assessment and management, resolved to proceed to the opening of a public consultation period for the review and definition of the cartography of the Preferential Flow Zones associated with various sections of the ARPSIs 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 of the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation. For these purposes, a period of three months was granted from the date of publication of the announcement (BOE of June 7, 2022) to present contributions and/or allegations in relation to said cartography.
On August 9, 2022, the President of the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, O.A. agreed to extend the initial term of the "resolution dated May 23, 2022 that opened a public consultation period for the review and definition of the mapping of the Preferential Flow Zones associated with various sections of the ARPSIs 9, 10 , 11, 12, 16, 17 of the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation" in 1.5 months, resulting in a total of 4.5 months counting from the day after the first publication in the BOE (BOE August 31, 2022).
In addition to its publication in the BOE, the opening of said public information process was communicated to the affected City Councils, specifically to the City Councils of Alcantarilla, Beniel, Cartagena, Fuente Álamo, Lorca, Los Alcázares, Murcia, Puerto Lumbreras, Santomera and Torre Pacheco.
In the public information process, 140 allegations were presented that were studied by this Organization, for consideration if considered appropriate.
The cartography of the preferred flow zone that was submitted to public information was prepared using as a starting basis the flood hazard maps with medium probability (return period equal to 100 years) whose public consultation was carried out on April 26, 2014 (first planning cycle) and August 1, 2019 (second planning cycle), that is, the hazard maps approved at the time were not subject to review in this process, it was only a matter of specifying within the flood zone with a return period equal to 100 years, the area that has the characteristics of a Preferential Flow Zone, given that this zone was not defined at the time, and therefore was not subject to public consultation in the years 2014 and 2019, together to hazard maps.
As a consequence of the allegations received in the public information process, a new review of the preferential flow zone has been carried out. This new review has focused fundamentally on optimizing the definition of the intense drainage route.
As a result of the review carried out in the area initially submitted to public consultation, 1,601 hectares have been eliminated, resulting in a total area affected by the Preferential Flow Zone of approximately 11,872 hectares. However, as a result of this review, new areas (744 ha) where the flow is concentrated have also been detected, which would be considered Preferential Flow Zones, and which were not initially submitted to public consultation. These new 744 hectares have not been included in the finally approved Preferential Flow Zone, and therefore will not be published in the SNCZI, as long as they are not subjected to a new public consultation process and have been informed by the Committee of Competent Authorities.
As indicated in art. 10.2 of Royal Decree 903/2010, on November 7, 2023, the mapping of the preferential flow zones (ZFP) associated with various sections of the ARPSIs 9, 10, 11, 12, 16 and 17 of the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation, It was submitted to the report of the Committee of Competent Authorities of the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation, where it was favorably informed.
On November 13, 2023, the President of the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, O.A., in accordance with the provisions of article 14.ter of Royal Decree 849/1986, of April 11, which approves the Public Domain Regulations Hydraulic (modified by Royal Decree 665/2023, of July 18) has resolved to approve the file for review and definition of the mapping of the preferential flow zones associated with various sections of the ARPSIs 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 of the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation.
Finally, once the aforementioned cartography was sent to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, it has been published and integrated into the National Flood Zone Mapping System, and can be accessed from the following link:
