Santarém river barrier removed to restore aquatic connectivity

An obsolete river barrier was manually removed from the Ribeira de Perofilho in the Santarém municipality, specifically at Quinta da Amendoeira. The project, representing a 35,000 euro investment, was promoted by SOS Animal – Portugal in partnership with the Municipality of Santarém and funded by the European Open Rivers Programme.

The removal was performed manually to minimize disturbance to the watercourse and the surrounding ecosystem. The primary goal is to restore longitudinal connectivity, allowing for the free movement of aquatic species and the natural transport of nutrients and sediments. This intervention is expected to benefit habitats for species such as the eel, Portuguese barbel, and otter.

This marks the third such removal in the Santarém municipality, following previous projects at the Alviela River and another section of the Ribeira de Perofilho. The operation received a favorable opinion from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA).