Regional Government invests in improvement of environmental quality of Furnas Lake
The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stressed the investment of the Regional Government in the improvement of the environmental quality of Furnas Lake, S. Miguel Island, noting the importance of the reforestation project covering an area over 61 hectares, where more than 250 thousand endemic and native species were planted.
Marta Guerreiro accompanied today the visit of the President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, to a plot of land located in the area covered by this project, which represents an investment of half a million Euros.
Acquired in 2015, this plot of land was the last with livestock activity bordering the slope of the lake, with the reforesting beginning in 2017.
This is project also includes forest exploitation for the production of some endemic species, thus contributing to the awareness of the productive potential of these forest species.
This is another measure that, together with the retention and diversion of flows from the Ribeira do Salto da Inglesa stream tributaries, has significant impacts by reducing the inflow of nutrients to Furnas Lake and reducing the silting process.”
The ecological and landscape recovery carried out in Furnas Lake Hydrographic Basin was distinguished with the National Landscape Award in 2012, the year when the lake's water quality began to show improvements as a result of the measures recommended by the Regional Government for the removal of pastures, waste elimination and landscape transformation.
According to the Regional Secretary, the path is long and there is still much to do in preserving Azorean lakes, rescuing them from eutrophication and returning them to their natural state so that they can be enjoyed by people.
In this regard, the government official mentioned that some short-term actions are planned, such as the arrival of a new water harvester later this month. It was acquired for the control of invasive algae populations and will be used in the lake of São Miguel as early as next fall, corresponding to an investment of about 180 thousand Euros.
Marta Guerreiro also pointed out the construction and installation of a mobile water treatment unit, an investment of 1.5 million Euros, revealing that, later this week, the Government will sign a contract with the Environmental Fund, the co-financing entity of the project.
In turn, a new exhibition will be installed at the Furnas Monitoring and Research Centres, dedicated to the Azorean Lakes, an investment of about 100 thousand Euros.