The Segura basin is located in southeastern Spain and covers 18,606 km2. The Segura River originates in Pontones, Jaén at an altitude of 1,413 meters and flows 325 km through Jaén, Albacete, and Murcia provinces before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Its course is divided into an upper, middle, and lower course. The middle course flows through fertile valleys like Vega Media and Huerta de Murcia where irrigation agriculture is prominent. The lower course passes through the province of Alicante in the Vega Baja del Segura region before reaching its canalized mouth near Guardamar del Segura.

1. Segura basin
Basin and route through one of the most important
Spanish river and the main of Murcia.
By: Elisa y Claudia

2. Index
General introduction to the basin
Presentation
Route:
- High Course
- Middle Course
- Low Course

3. General introduction to the basin
 The Segura basin is located in the southwest of the
peninsula and it takes up a space of 18.606 km2; that 14
936 km2 belongs to Segura river.

4. Introduction
 The Segura river born in
Pontones (Jaén), located on the
Segura range, with 1.413
altitude meters. In its route of
325 km, across the provinces of
Jaén, Albacete y Murcia to
flow into the Mediterranean
shore.
 Its route it is divided on several
tributaries, that are Mundo
river, Guadalentín river and
Argos river. Some of revoirs are
Santomera, Almadenes, Pedrera
y Taibilla.

5. Presentation
 On the one hand, the level to
make the most is very high if
we compares it with other
Spanish rivers. This affect in
negative form.
 Floods are also very larges. It
is considerate the river which
has the most controls of
Europe, and the best adjusted.
 The river it has got a very
important lack of water on
some zones and it has
conditionated murcianos life
for its irregularity.

6. Presentation

7. Route: middle course of the river
 The river goes through Valle de Ricote, goes out of it to across the
locality of Archena, where cross for Vega Media.
 Later, it’s started la Huerta de Murcia. Then of Orihuela, the route
is modified to the west, going in the trench tectonic defined between
Benejúzar y Guardamar.

8. Route: high course of the river
 The river born in a natural cave flooded, to 1.413 altitude metres, in
the Segura range. During its first kilometres the rivers go through for
valley where receives tributaries such as Madera, Zumeta and Tus
rivers. The valley is closed for reservoirs like Fuensanta and Cenajo.

9. Route: middle course of the river
 The river receives its main
tributary the Mundo river,
her the valley starts to wide
forming a narrow alluvial
plain really fertile, called
"vega" .
 Ir receive tributaries like
Benamor, Argos and Quípar,
to penetrate later at the
basins that formes theVega
Alta del Segura, zone which
is made the most of irrigation.

10. Route: middle course of the river
 The trench that goes from the Contraparada up to the mouth
formed part of the Depresión prelitoral murciana where the
Guadalentín goes with the Segura after passing Murcia city, and
is the center of a valley that starts in Puerto Lumbreras.

11. Route: middle course of the river
 Here the alluvial plane begins
to have a width that is
positioned about the50 msnm,
for this reason it has a very
important made the most of the
river around the Murcia city
that causes a reduce on the
river flow, with the pollution
troubles that have been
improved on the last years. The
most important tributaries are
the Mula and the Guadalentín
rivers.

12. Route: low course of the river
 Once time that the Segura
goes into the province of
Alicante; begins the last
stretch of the Vega Baja del
Segura.
 The most space of the river is
canalized to avoid floods,
but the canal is considered
low since has a capacity
about 250 m³/s in Orihuela.

13. Route: low course of the river
 The mouth in the
Mediterranean sea is produced
on the north of Guardamar del
Segura, and leaves the Segura
vega as a zone closed to the
sea. It has a width of 221 m in
the artificial canal in its
mouth. Since the closed zone is
very low there are gaps. The
caudal that contributes to the
sea has been reduced to less of
1 m³/s.