The Arroyales Pond is located in the municipality of Amayuelas de Abajo, in the province of Palencia, on the right bank of the Canal de Castilla, next to the Arroyales Aqueduct. Its origin is directly related to the construction of the canal and the need to allow the stream to pass under the artificial channel, which altered the natural drainage of the land and favored the appearance of marshy areas.
This wetland features a shallow water surface with seasonal variations and is accompanied by marsh vegetation that contrasts with the cereal-growing landscape characteristic of Tierra de Campos. Unlike other, more open ponds, its configuration is closely linked to the hydraulic operation of the aqueduct and canal.
The Arroyales Pond is part of the protected wetlands of the Lagunas del Canal de Castilla Special Protection Area (SPA), integrated into the Natura 2000 network, and has been taken into account in the restoration and environmental management actions carried out within the framework of the LIFE project. Its heritage value lies both in its ecological importance and in its capacity to explain how a large-scale, enlightened infrastructure project not only transformed the economy and the territory, but also generated new natural landscapes.
For the visitor, this enclave allows one to understand the Canal de Castilla as a complex system, where unique works such as aqueducts, cisterns and locks coexist with discreet wetlands that today form an essential part of the natural and cultural heritage of the territory.
