An ecosystem reclaimed
The Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park, a wetland area between the Fluvià and Muga rivers, exists today because of a public conservation campaign started in 1976. Historically, marshes covered the entire plain of the Bay of Roses. Over centuries, much of this land was drained for agriculture, particularly rice and livestock farming, shrinking the wetlands considerably. In the 1960s and 70s, a new threat emerged: large-scale urban and tourist developments that planned to build over the remaining marshland.
A public campaign with the slogan "The Last Aiguamolls of Empordà, in Danger" fought back against the development plans. This popular pressure succeeded, and the Catalan government declared the area a Natural Park in 1983. The park now covers over 4,800 hectares. The restoration involved reflooding drained areas, which immediately began to attract wildlife. This act created a large-scale ecological experiment, with scientists monitoring the return of species to the newly available habitat.
Measuring a biological rebound
The results of the restoration are most clearly quantified in the park's bird populations. Before the park's creation and the reflooding, the area hosted a diminished number of species. Since 1983, the number of recorded bird species has climbed to 329. Of these, 82 species now nest regularly within the park. The park is an important resting and feeding stop for thousands of migratory birds traveling between Europe and Africa.
Specific reintroduction programs have accelerated the recovery of certain species. A project to bring back the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) began in 1987. The program established nesting platforms, which the storks readily adopted, and the population is now a common sight. Similarly, the purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), which had vanished from the region, was reintroduced with specimens released in 1989 and 1991. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) has also been successfully re-established. Beyond these managed reintroductions, the restored habitat has naturally attracted a diverse range of animals, including fallow deer, badgers, and numerous species of amphibians and reptiles. The flora includes plants adapted to saline and freshwater conditions, such as tamarisk, sea rush, and reeds.