Drought in Spain’s northeast empties reservoirs

By EMILIO MORENATTI
Associated Press

VILANOVA DE SAU, Spain (AP) — The medieval church of Sant Romà disappeared from view in the 1960s, when the town of Vilanova de Sau was flooded to create a reservoir an hour north of Barcelona. In the past three decades, its spectral belltower has broken the surface several times, serving as a punctual reminder of Spain’s fragile water resources. But today the church’s tower, its nave, and the building’s foundations are all exposed. The Sau reservoir’s water levels now stand at 9% of total capacity, according to Catalan Water Agency data, so officials have taken the decision to remove its fish to stop them from asphyxiating. Drought in Spain’s northeast reached “exceptional” levels last month, menacing access to drinking water for 6 million people in the Barcelona metropolitan area.