Oyambre Estuary

Natura 2000 Code: ES1300003

Situated in the Western area of Cantabria and included in SCI (“Western Rias and Oyambre Dune”), the Oyambre Estuary is formed by two stretches of sea, the Rabia Ria and Capitan Ria. The Capitan Ria, the area where the activities are to be developed, contains 7 habitats of community interest (hábitats 1110, 1130, 1140, 1310, 1330, 1420, y 91E0*).

This ria is particularly interesting for mallards and herons. At the marshes, where the salt content is lower and more stable and where marsh vegetation areas develop, it is frequent to see water rails (Rallus aquaticus), common sandpipers (Actitis hypoleucos), wild ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) or little grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis). Occasionally there are also purple herons (Ardea purpurea), little egrets (Egretta garcetta), or ospreys (Pandion haliaetus).

Localización de la ría del Capitán (estuario de Oyambre)

The Capitan Ria is characterised for its high human impact. This alteration consists of the presence of tidal dams, which have caused the clogging of the ria bed, the overrise of the natural bed and the subsequent desiccation of the marsh. The subsequent opening of the dam gates allowed water to flow in and therefore the partial regeneration of the tidal dynamics. In spite of this, this ria continues to be highly deteriorated. With the purpose of improving the preservation status of the habitats in this area, the following activities have been proposed:

  • Recovery of the tidal dynamics by extending the opening of the Zapedo dam.
  • Removal of specimens of the Baccharis halimifolia species in an area of 14ha.

The development of these activities will allow the recovery of the 35 ha of the estuary system comprising the Capitan Ria, amongst which 0.76 ha belong to habitat 1330 (Atlantic salt meadows) and 15.58 ha belong to habitat 1420 (Mediterranean and thermos-Atlantic halophile scrubs).

Hábitats de interés comunitario presentes en la ría del Capitán (estuario de Oyambre)