The impact of the ongoing drought on the Sau Reservoir in Catalunya
The Sau Reservoir, also known as Pantà de Sau in Catalan, is a large reservoir located in the province of Barcelona, in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalunya. The reservoir was built in the 1960s by damming the Ter River and is a vital source of water and hydroelectric power for the region.
As a result of the severe drought ongoing in Europe, the reservoir is currently at about 10% of its capacity, the lowest level in decades. Operations are ongoing to remove a significant quantity of fish from the reservoir in order to preserve the quality of its water and guarantee a source of drinking water for the region.
The low water level in the Sar Reservoir is visible in this image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 13 March 2023.
Open data retrieved by the Copernicus Sentinel satellites provide key information useful to accurately map water bodies and extract critical information during periods of drought.
