Awareness raising on the rehabilitation of the River Leça

Awareness-raising of the owners of the land bordering the river is fundamental for the development of the clean-up work

Improving the water quality of the river, stabilizing the banks and promoting greater biodiversity are the main objectives of the project to rehabilitate the Leça River presented last week to the landowners of the municipality of Matosinhos and bordering the Leça River in the Auditorium of the Custóias Parish Council.

Manuela Álvares, councillor for Environment and Energetic Transition of Matosinhos City Hall, and Artur Branco, executive director of the Association Rio Leça Corridor, made the landowners present aware of the added value of the intervention that will be carried out from the source (Santo Tirso) to the mouth (Matosinhos) of the river, which will contemplate, Among other things, the collection of waste, the removal of invasive exotic vegetation, intervention on the banks to protect them from erosion and floods, promotion of the landscape and biodiversity, replanting of the banks, promoting an increase in the quality of the water.

So that the work can be carried out along the whole length of the trail, the collaboration of the owners of the land whose banks belong to the river is necessary, namely their authorisation to carry out this work (completely free of charge).

During the session, it was possible to ask questions about the project. Pedro Teiga, responsible for the project of rehabilitation and enhancement of the banks of the river Leça and main tributaries, provided all the clarifications.

It is worth reminding that the project of rehabilitation of the Leça River, the only river that rises and flows in the metropolitan area of Porto, is being managed by the Associação Corredor Rio Leça, an entity that includes the four municipalities where the river flows: Santo Tirso, Valongo, Maia and Matosinhos.

The investment will be directed to the riparian zones of private lands, with a 4 million financing provided by the REACT-EU programme.

A new clarification session is planned, which will be disclosed in due course, as soon as the date for the start of works is scheduled.