Hernández denies La Herradura damage, pledges full support for CIAF manager

The Water Councilor of the Fuerteventura Cabildo, Adargoma Hernández, expressed “total and utmost confidence” in the manager of the Island Water Council, Domingo Montañez, after the heritage association El Efequén accused the administration of a supposed “destruction” in the La Herradura ravine and even called for the institution’s suspension. The council’s manager refutes the accusations, stating that “the streambed has not been altered and no virgin ground has been touched at all.”

“If a suspension were ever demanded, it should be mine, not that of an official who is simply doing his technical job.”

Adargoma Hernández, also vice‑president of the Island Water Council, made this statement during an interview on Thursday’s La Voz de Fuerteventura program on Radio Insular, where he explained that the work was carried out with all required permits and under the supervision of Environment and Heritage technicians.

Barranco de La Herradura

Domingo Montañez emphasized that “the administration has no intention of destroying anything.” He clarified that the work was limited to a section of the ravine where material accumulated in a small historic reservoir was cleared, without affecting the virgin streambed or its banks.

“The Council only acted on the streambed, respecting the guidelines and leaving a safety layer to guarantee the use of rainwater.”

Montañez lamented the heritage association’s accusations, which speak of “damage” without specifying what was actually destroyed. He added:

“At some point someone will be able to justify what exactly was destroyed and what real damage occurred. I understand that this does not match reality.”

He explained that the Council operated with full guarantees, aware of existing archaeological sites and catalogued heritage assets. “The CIAF acted from the start knowing there was an archaeological inventory, and there is a catalogue of both archaeological and ethnographic assets belonging to the Island Cabildo.”

Before the works began, “the Cabildo’s Heritage technical managers were physically present on site, and we know that certain parts are specifically listed in the inventory and must be protected.”

Addressing criticism about carrying out the work during the breeding season, Montañez said the timing was coordinated:

“We agreed with the Environment and Heritage technicians—especially with the Environment technicians, who also follow directives from other administrations—and the dates were consulted.”

He also noted that the Cabildo’s own machines, which were made available and coordinated with the Council, could not be deployed earlier because they had to wait for the agreed date.

The intervention in the La Herradura ravine is similar to other projects the corporation undertakes to restore hydraulic infrastructure that recharges the aquifer.

“The philosophy is to make use of surface water, not let it flow into the sea.”

Adargoma Hernández criticized the legal route chosen by the association, which announced it would take the matter to the Prosecutor’s Office.

“If you really want to protect something, the first step is to come and ask the administration. What you cannot do is publish a complaint in the media without even having requested information.”

Constructions and Plantings … Without Permit

The councilor also highlighted another side of the problem, stating that “there are private farms that have carried out plantings and constructions on public hydraulic domain without the necessary permits.”

He recalled that any exploitation of a watercourse requires authorization from the Island Water Council and denounced that “temporary dams and transverse dikes have been erected outside of administrative control.”

Both Hernández and Montañez defended the La Herradura operation as not only legal but also essential for optimizing the island’s water resources.

“We are acting to recover the use of a wall that is more than 60 years old, which had become clogged and non‑functional.”