One Hundred Years Later, the Water Council Returns to the Site of the First CHE User Assembly

The Water Council of the Ebro River Basin District met on September 28 at the Aula Magna of the Paraninfo of the Universidad de Zaragoza, a venue specially chosen on the occasion of the Centennial of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro. This same venue hosted the first user assembly of the then Confederación Sindical Hidrográfica del Ebro in 1926, one of the first steps in organizing the new river basin authority.

One hundred years later, the participation of the different territories and users of the basin continues to be part of water planning. The current Water Council brings together 105 members, with representation from the General State Administration, the nine autonomous communities of the district, local authorities, water users, environmental organizations, trade unions, and professional associations.

During the session, the Outline of Important Issues for the fourth planning cycle was presented, a preliminary document for the preparation of the Ebro River Basin District Hydrological Plan 2028-2033. The process included a six-month public consultation phase, during which 166 submissions were received.

The meeting thus united two moments separated by a century: user participation in the first steps of the Confederación in 1926 and current participation in the planning of the Ebro basin, in the year in which the CHE commemorates its Centennial.