Le réservoir d’Arrocampo, un paradis ornithologique « d’origine nucléaire »

The Autonomous Community of Extremadura is a large Spanish region bordering Portugal very attractive for birdwaching thanks to the excellent state of conservation and the diversity of  its habitats, including alpine meadows, wood pasture (dehesa), steppes, cultures, ponds and reservoirs. These artificial lakes, sometimes quite large, are often quite poor in terms of birdlife due to the variations of the water level. But it is not the case of the Arrocampo reservoir (embalse), located in the province of Cáceres and created in 1976 : it is  used to refrigerate the turbines of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant. its water level is constant thanks to the constant pumping from the River Tajo, allowing the development of marsh vegetation on its banks, its warm waters even in Winter and the plains that surround it favour the diversity of birds.