MAL029 - Ta' Qali 3
Description
Ta’ Qali is an old abandoned quarry that had been turned into a water reservoir, located within the former Flower Power gardening complex in the outskirts of Mosta. The site is accessible by a dirt road, however, it is located on privately-owned property, and covers an approximate area of 2,720m2. The quarry is surrounded by abandoned agricultural land, abandoned buildings and derelict greenhouse structures. Due to the topography of the area alongside an individual pipeline entering the reservoir, it is assumed that apart from precipitation, the reservoir is being filled by surface runoff. There is no indication that the water accumulated is being used for irrigation. The quarry was completely submerged in water and dominated by two species; Typha domingensis and Cyperus longus subsp. bandius. The site falls within the Ta’ Qali Recreation Area and the Ta’ Qali Action Plan Area. The future of the site is unclear due to the reservoir being part of a proposed development for the construction of a sports village.
Wetland data
Basic information
| Wetland location: | Inland |
| Wetland type: | Artificial |
| Wetland area: | 0.30 Ha |
| Hydrological interaction: | - |
| Water salinity: | Fresh (< 0.5 g/l) |
| Type of fresh water input: | Catchment area (precipitation) |
| Surface water runoff | Outflow controlled by pipeline |
| Open water area (%): | > 95 |
| Hydroperiod: | Permanent |
Geographic information
| Census district: | Northern |
| Island: | Malta |
| Local council: | H'Attard |
| Longitude: | 14.423800 East |
| Latitude: | 35.898570 North |
Biological significance
| Biological significance: | Low |
Ramsar wetland type
| Type | Coverage (%) |
| 7 -- Excavations; gravel/brick/clay pits; borrow pits, mining pools |
Property status
| Private |
Ecosystem services
| Type of ecosystem service | Ecosystem service | Scale of Βenefit (%) | Importance |
| Regulatory services | Flood hazard regulation | ||
| Provisioning services | Fresh water | ||
| Regulatory services | Water regulation |
Activities on wetland
| Activity | Intensity |
| 020 = Resource conservation | High |
| 110 = Use of pesticides | Low |
| 120 = Fertilisation | Low |
| 130 = Irrigation | Low |
| 301 = quarries | High |
| 790 = Other pollution/human impacts/activities | Low |
Activities on catchment area
| Activity | Intensity |
| 100 = Cultivation | Low |
| 110 = Use of pesticides | Low |
| 120 = Fertilisation | Low |
| 130 = Irrigation | Low |
| 419 = other industrial / commercial areas | Low |
| 430 = Agricultural structures | Low |
| 502 = roads motorways | High |
| 701 = water pollution | Medium |
| 790 = Other pollution/human impacts/activities | High |
Impacts
| Impact | Intensity |
| EE- = Increase of economic potential | High |
| ES- = Increase in water supply | Low |
| PF- = Fertilizer/Excess nutrient pollution | Low |
| PP- = Pesticide pollution | Low |
| WD- = Diversion of flowing water | High |
Vegetation types
| Type | Coverage (%) |
| Emergent | 5 - 25 |
Flora
| Species | Presence status | References |
| Cyperus longus subsp. badius | ||
| Typha domingensis |