The news of the restoration of Wied il-Qlejgħa, alias Chadwick Lakes, is good news. Not least because the ‘cleaning of valleys’ has been put to bed.
The measures highlighted in the media for such restoration are also something to look forward to, namely: restoration of dilapidated rubble walls; removal of the playing area; removal of invasive alien species of flora and fauna; removal of accumulated sediment behind dams; restoration and utilisation of the Fiddien pumping station; and the planning of walking trails.
Valleys in the Maltese islands are sensitive ecological areas – much ignored, unappreciated and abused. These have been abandoned and mismanaged for years, making their restoration more delicate.
They are dried river beds, once adorned with dwarf hippopotamus and endemic swan. Climate change reduced these rich freshwater habitats to what they are today.
Dilapidated rubble walls is the first item that should be addressed, thus stopping soil erosion, one of the main culprits for the filling up of the dams.
The use of gabbjuni (big cages) to repair/replace rubble walls should not even be considered. A look at the 30-year-old gabbjuni installed along the valley, shows how barren they are. Not even the tenacious invasive cape sorel (l-ingliża) has managed to colonise any of them.
The removal of the playing area in the midst of the valley is a sine qua non. I wonder who was the architect who conceived this idea in the middle of one of the largest valleys in the Maltese islands.
The removal of invasive alien species of flora and fauna is another step in the right direction.
No need to say that this is a sensitive and delicate endeavour. It is not just bulldozing them on the lines of how the Ministry of Transport bulldozes trees. The invasive species of flora have to be gradually removed in some areas, while being replaced by indigenous species.
Invasive species growing in Wied il-Qlejgħa include: she oak (less than a dozen), castor oil trees (less than 100), acacias and eucalyptus (more than a score and 20 of each species).
Their removal has to be professional so as not to contribute further to their dispersal. This applies mainly to the castor oil tree which has to be uprooted, and burned on site thus eliminating the possibility of giving it a free ride and opportunity to its seeds to germinate on new reclaimed grounds.
Furthermore, indigenous species which grow in the valley, such as poplar trees, willows, almond trees, lentisks, olive trees, chaste trees, should not be mistaken for invasive species and removed. Not a far-fetched concern.
The removal of invasive alien species of flora and fauna is another step in the right direction. No need to say that this is a sensitive and delicate endeavour
On the other hand, the notorious lately introduced red swamp crayfish also abounds in the valley, detrimental to any fresh aquatic life such as the indigenous painted frog and its tadpole, dragonflies and water beetles larvae. The person who introduced such alien species, should be chained to a poplar tree until the last crayfish is collected.
On the other hand, indigenous trees adapted to such a riverine habitat include the poplar tree, already established in the valley, willow (two species also established), chaste tree (of which there are half a dozen) and rare species of ash and elm.
AmbjentMalta can start propagating them immediately so that they will be readily available for planting as standard trees as soon as a parcel of the valley has been restored.
There are also a number of indigenous flora, some rare and scarce aquatic species, such as water cress, sanicle-leaved water crowfoot, and bulbous buttercup. Others, not so rare, are greater plantain, creeping cinquefoil, rushes and sedges.
Another delicate exercise is the removal of debris and sediment accumulated behind the two main water dams.
Presumably, one would think, this would be undertaken during the hot summer months when the cisterns are dry. This means that the top layer of the sediment will be full of seeds and ova of species frequenting the aquatic habitat.
The collecting of approximately 15 centimetres of scraped surface sediment to be redeposited in the restored parts, would contribute to the survival of these rare species.
The valley bottom is constantly being abused by off-roading motorbikes as one can see from the erosion of footpaths and fresh tyre marks.
One of the shallow dams closest to Fiddien has also been damaged to make easier access.
So the suggestions for walking trails is another positive approach, especially if these are somewhat raised from the ground, for the convenience of wild fauna.
Furthermore, public access gates can be installed along the way, as a measure for controlling bikes – motor or manual.
The Fiddien box, which was restored during the time when Daniel Micallef was Minister for Education and Environment, has long been vandalised and the heavy water pump has seemingly disappeared - hopefully taken by the Water Services Corporation for safe keeping?
The plans for their restoration and educational use are also another positive step.
Once restoration works are completed, the valley has to be monitored and managed. Traffic management tops the list.
This will ensure that the number of vehicles frequently jamming the area on public holidays and Sundays will not bring such restoration to naught by their haphazard parking. So it would be beneficial to one and all if the road through the valley is made one way: from Imtarfa to Mosta.
The farming community can have an identification permit displayed on car windscreens, to allow them to use it both ways during working days.
The proof of this EU-funded pudding is in the eating. I will be watching gratis et amoris patria, naturally.
Alfred Baldacchino is a former assistant director of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s environment directorate.
aebaldacchino@gmail.com
http://alfredbadacchino.wordpess.com
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece