The eternal dam of lawsuits remains unfinished in Biscarrués
In the upper course of the Gállego river, in the province of Huesca, stands a concrete scar. It is the skeleton of the Biscarrués dam, a hydraulic work designed to store water and irrigate crops, whose construction began in the 1980s and was never completed. The project generated intense polarization between those who defended its agricultural utility and those who warned about its serious impact on a river section of high ecological value. ⚖️
A conflict that moved to the courts
The opposition from environmental groups and neighbors was immediate, leading to a long legal battle. The courts have had to evaluate multiple times the reports on environmental impact and the validity of administrative authorizations. This judicial process, added to changes in water policies and the lack of social agreement, has kept the infrastructure in permanent limbo. The dam exists physically, but its original function has faded, turning it into a symbol of a clash of interests.
Consequences of the paralysis:- A succession of stops and reviews of the project due to court orders.
- A constant consumption of resources in legal battles instead of on the work itself.
- The creation of a complex precedent for other infrastructure projects in Spain.
The project has spent more time in the courts than the cement took to set, and the only constant flow has been that of reports and judgments.
A landscape marked by controversy
Today, the site shows a large concrete platform that interrupts the valley, with half-built hydraulic structures. The Gállego river continues its course next to this human intervention frozen in time. It is not a historical ruin, but a contemporary wound, a tangible reminder of how a project can divide a community. 🏞️
The current dilemma about its future:- Dismantling what has been built, an option that implies new costs and decisions.
- Attempting to reactivate the project, burdened with decades of controversy and distrust.
- Seeking an alternative use for the existing infrastructure, although there is no consensus.
A legacy of unresolved debate
The Biscarrués dam embodies the eternal conflict between developing resources and conserving the environment. Its unfinished silhouette questions how to manage the territory and who decides. While the debate about its final fate continues, the structure remains, defying time and the river, like a monument to uncertainty and the lawsuits that created it. 🏗️