MAL053 - Ta' Ghamajra
Description
Ta’ Għamajra are a cluster of artificially constructed reservoirs, intended for irrigation and water storage, located within western Malta close to Ħad-Dingli. The reservoirs have been constructed out of limestone bricks and cement, and cover an approximate area of 1,110m2. The site is accessible from a dirt road, however, the reservoirs are located on privately-owned property. The reservoirs receive water via precipitation and from water pumped from the perched aquifer. The site is predominantly surrounded by agricultural land and the reservoirs are being used to irrigate these fields. No vegetation was present within or around the reservoirs. There is no data present regarding wildlife, however, goldfish and mosquito fish are present as noted during the field survey. The site is not protected by any legislation.
Wetland data
Basic information
| Wetland location: | Inland |
| Wetland type: | Artificial |
| Wetland area: | 0.10 Ha |
| Hydrological interaction: | - |
| Water salinity: | Fresh (< 0.5 g/l) |
| Type of fresh water input: | Karstic spring |
| Surface water runoff | Outflow controlled by pipeline |
| Open water area (%): | 76 - 95 |
| Hydroperiod: | Permanent |
Geographic information
| Census district: | Western |
| Island: | Malta |
| Local council: | Had-Dingli |
| Longitude: | 14.392000 East |
| Latitude: | 35.864880 North |
Biological significance
| Biological significance: | Low |
Ramsar wetland type
| Type | Coverage (%) |
| 6 -- Water storage areas; reservoirs/barrages/dams/impoundments (generally over 8 ha) |
Property status
| Private |
Ecosystem services
| Type of ecosystem service | Ecosystem service | Scale of Βenefit (%) | Importance |
| Provisioning services | Food | ||
| Provisioning services | Fresh water | ||
| Supporting services | Provision of habitat |
Activities on wetland
| Activity | Intensity |
| 020 = Resource conservation | High |
| 130 = Irrigation | High |
| 701 = water pollution | High |
Activities on catchment area
| Activity | Intensity |
| 100 = Cultivation | High |
| 110 = Use of pesticides | High |
| 120 = Fertilisation | High |
| 130 = Irrigation | High |
| 422 = disposal of industrial waste | Medium |
| 430 = Agricultural structures | High |
| 440 = Storage of materials | High |
| 701 = water pollution | High |
Impacts
| Impact | Intensity |
| EE- = Increase of economic potential | High |
| ES- = Increase in water supply | High |
| PF- = Fertilizer/Excess nutrient pollution | High |
| PP- = Pesticide pollution | |
| PU- = Increase of turbidity |
Vegetation types
| Type | Coverage (%) |
| Emergent | 5 - 25 |
Flora
| Species | Presence status | References |
| Arundo donax |