Valuengo Reservoir

The Valuengo Reservoir is a reservoir for hydraulic and landscape use located in the municipality of Jerez de los Caballeros, in the province of Badajoz, on the bed of the Ardila River. It was built in the fifties of the twentieth century and is part of the water system of southwestern Badajoz, with a capacity of 15 to 19.3 hm³ depending on the source consulted. It is located in a closed valley that runs between pastures and eucalyptus plantations, on substrates of slate and greywacke. At its tail, there are well-preserved riverbank formations, with flooded and semi-flooded poplar groves, oleanders and tamujares, which reinforce the natural interest of the site and explain its value as a wetland enclave in an agricultural and livestock farming environment. What can be seen is a wide sheet of water, calm banks and a transitional landscape between the reservoir and the Ardila watercourses. It is of interest for its reading of the territory: it supplies populations and irrigated land in the region, and also supports abundant birdlife associated with aquatic environments, with breeding colonies and winter roosts of ardeids and great cormorant in the riparian vegetation. Its environmental relevance is remarkable because it is included as ZEPA "Embalse de Valuengo" within the Natura 2000 Network, which confirms its importance for the conservation of birds and habitats linked to water. For the visitor, it is a place of serene and functional interest: reservoir, wetland and rural landscape of Extremadura in the same space.