Sponge approaches are gaining momentum in the Júcar River Basin Associated Region, where partners are working with farmers, irrigation communities and local stakeholders to implement and monitor nature-based solutions that improve soil health, water infiltration and landscape resilience.
Recent field visits focused on identifying priority monitoring sites and refining a monitoring strategy to assess how sponge measures enhance the landscape’s ability to absorb, store and slowly release water. Monitoring activities, coordinated with CSIC, the River Basin Authority (CHJ) and AgriSat, will begin this month following expert assessments carried out across the basin.
A key partner is the CRUSPAG irrigation community in Godelleta, which represents around 1,300 users and manages approximately 2,100 hectares of irrigated land. Monitoring plots have been selected in vineyards and orange groves to compare conventional tillage with cover crop practices. The sites include a vineyard affected by soil erosion where cover crops are being introduced for the first time, a conventionally managed vineyard, and an orange grove where cover crops have been established for three years. Even at this early stage, noticeable differences in soil structure can already be observed between the systems.
Another monitoring site is the Huerta / Jardín del Boticario in Macastre, where an abandoned plot purchased in 2023 is being restored through permaculture and regenerative practices. Within just three years, the site has developed healthy, living soils with no visible signs of compaction. Upcoming soil analyses will provide further insights into soil quality and organic matter content.
Alongside agricultural measures, vegetation restoration is also progressing in the Barranco de la Cueva Morica, where invasive cane (Arundo donax) is being replaced with native riparian vegetation. The monitoring design has already been completed and implementation will begin shortly.
These activities demonstrate how sponge measures can be integrated into existing farming and restoration initiatives, helping Mediterranean landscapes become more resilient to both droughts and extreme rainfall while supporting soil health, biodiversity and sustainable water management.
The SpongeWorks project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101156116 and from the UK Research and Innovation/HM Government. The project runs from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2028.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
