elDiario.es has published a feature reviewing 100 years of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro and grounding it in concrete facts: infrastructure, water quality, technology, and new decisions in a different climate scenario.
1926 – 2026
1926 – 2026
elDiario.es has published a feature reviewing 100 years of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro and grounding it in concrete facts: infrastructure, water quality, technology, and new decisions in a different climate scenario.
03/04/2026
After Easter, we are sharing a feature by elDario.es that looks back at the centenary of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro (CHE) from an unusual perspective: not only “history”, but also data and real change.
The article highlights several little-known key points:
First, that the basin-based management model, pioneering in 1926, took decades to become widespread in Europe.
Second, that accurate flow calculation has only been possible relatively recently, thanks to technology.
And one more: that during the Civil War the basin was divided and the Confederación had to operate from separate headquarters.
The feature also puts figures on flood management and the role of reservoirs. It notes that the largest Ebro flood in Aragon with precise references was in 1961 (around 4,000 m³/s), and that today the most common floods in Zaragoza range between 1,600 and 2,000 m³/s, with the “ordinary flood” set at 1,600 m³/s.
In this context, the Automatic Hydrological Information System (SAIH) is presented as a key tool for real-time monitoring and anticipating events.
Another shift of era highlighted by elDiario.es is the move from “quantity” to water quality. The feature highlights the work of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro’s water laboratory and its annual volume of samples and substances analysed—information that is not usually part of the public narrative, but which explains much of day-to-day management.
The piece also addresses the current debate—sustainability, irrigation modernisation and adaptation to dry periods—and notes that the institution is working on planning and reviewing scenarios, with decisions that affect the territory and those who depend on water.
It also portrays a different Confederación internally: more diverse technical profiles and a greater presence of women in positions of responsibility.
News item sourced from elDiario.es , by Esther L. Chamorro and published on April 3, 2026. Images: Esther L. Chamorro / elDiario.es. Use subject to copyright.
What’s coming up for the Centenary
Meanwhile, the Centenary programme continues. This is the last week to visit Through the Ebro Basin in Miranda de Ebro (until April 11).
In the coming weeks, the schedule continues with the institutional presentation of the book, the arrival of the exhibition Through the Ebro Basin in Logroño, and the Centenary Meetings in Logroño.