Solar catamaran and €2.5M tourism upgrade planned for Rialb reservoir

A solar‑powered catamaran will begin operating on the Rialb reservoir this spring as part of a project funded with Next Generation funds to diversify local tourism. The 12‑seat vessel will depart from a new landing at Viaplana, in the Baronia de Rialb (Noguera), where a nautical activity centre is being built.

The Segre Rialb consortium is defining the catamaran routes within the reservoir. The project also foresees two additional landings — at Tiurana (Noguera) and La Clua in the municipality of Bassella (Alt Urgell) — intended for other recreational boats wishing to access the impoundment from those points. Planners are also working on a blueway around the reservoir and carrying out various interventions in Peramola, Oliana and Ponts.

The consortium’s president and mayor of Ponts, Josep Tàpies, described the initiative as “ambitious,” with a total budget of about €2.5 million. Planned measures are diverse and include a viewpoint in Tiurana for stargazing and an adventure park in the Ogern hamlet of Bassella, among other facilities aimed at all age groups in towns around the reservoir.

Project designers have adapted proposals to the context of climate change. Tàpies noted that the Rialb reservoir is primarily intended for irrigation, and that lower water levels driven by climate change and higher summer demand will require activities to be adjusted according to reservoir levels.

In Bassella, the town council is working to reopen the Ogern river beach this summer and to ensure it can operate independently of the Ribera Salada’s flow. Mayor Cristina Barbens said the original bathing area, built more than 20 years ago, covered over 1,000 square metres, but recent reductions in river flow forced closures in recent summers because the water could not be renewed.

To preserve the attraction, the bathing area has been reduced by half and fitted with a system to treat and recirculate water. The redesign retains organic shapes that blend with the natural surroundings and uses aggregate materials similar to those found in the river to simulate a natural shoreline. The intervention cost about €620,000, mostly covered by Generalitat grants and Leader funds.

Part of the former bathing zone will be converted into an emergency water pond for fire prevention, taking advantage of the site’s existing use as a water filling point.