27 Jan 1989 - Baragem da Bravura

During the afternoon we visit the Barragem da Bravura, one of the larger reservoirs built to alleviate the water shortage in the rapidly ex­panding tourist towns of the coast. The reser­voir is situated at the western end of the Serra de Monchique, part of the range of mountains separat­ing the Algarve from the rest of Portugal. This area has the highest annual rainfall of the Al­garve and the abundant water available from peren­nial springs has led to the building of many rich irrigated terraces.

Above the terraces the land has been over-used in the past and the vegetation has degraded to a sea of gum‑leaved cistus. This plant has no economic value, although local peasants used to cut and dry it to use as fuel. Now it is being ploughed up by huge machines on caterpillar tracks to make way for Eucalypt plantations. As Portugal industrialises, it is developing a vast appetite for paper, and, to meet this need, the EEC is giving 100% planting grants for forests of this fast-growing species.

The water in the reservoir is red from the silt washed off the ploughed slopes by the recent rains. It looks an awfully barren land­scape with the only sign of life being about 200 cattle egrets foraging on the newly turned soil. We don't stay long.