Tancat de la Pipa, ALBUFERA NATURAL PARK – VALENCIA, SPAIN

Tancat de la Pipa is a nature reserve within the Albufera de València Natural Park, located on the north shore of the lake between the Catarroja Port Canal and the mouth of the Poyo Canal, in the Valencia Municipal District.

It is the result of a process of ecological restoration carried out in 2007 by the Júcar River Authority (Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar), when 40 hectares of rice fields were transformed into a freshwater wetland habitat. The area now functions as a biodiversity reserve thanks to the continual process of water improvement that takes place through its green filters and lagoons.

The reserve is managed by two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) – Acció Ecologista-Agró and SEO/BirdLife – who monitor its biodiversity and carry out environmental education and public awareness activities. This is possible thanks to the establishment of land stewardship agreements between the NGOs and the owner of the site, the Júcar River Authority. Formal collaboration agreements with the València and Catarroja City Councils also give support to the project. The Polytechnic University of València and València University study the ecological processes within the reserve.