{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Ara Lleida","provider_url":"https:\/\/aralleida.cat\/en\/","author_name":"admin","author_url":"https:\/\/aralleida.cat\/en\/author\/frame_zesv7n2g\/","title":"The Canal Route in les Garrigues","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"WKyNpzK8dj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aralleida.cat\/en\/rutes\/the-canal-route-in-les-garrigues\/\">The Canal Route in les Garrigues<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/aralleida.cat\/en\/rutes\/the-canal-route-in-les-garrigues\/embed\/#?secret=WKyNpzK8dj\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;The Canal Route in les Garrigues&#8221; &#8212; Ara Lleida\" data-secret=\"WKyNpzK8dj\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/aralleida.cat\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/aralleida.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/canals3.jpg","thumbnail_width":313,"thumbnail_height":348,"description":"The northern part of the comarca (local district) of les Garrigues is irrigated by the waters of the Canal d\u2019Urgell and the 4th irrigation channel of the same canal. It is here that visitors will find this 18 km-long signposted route which runs through the villages of Juneda and les Borges Blanques. There are two possible starting points for this route: Juneda and les Borges Blanques. Visitors starting from Juneda should follow the 4th main irrigation channel of the Canal d\u2019Urgell. The first interesting thing they will find is the coppice at the Desfet waterfall, which will lead visitors directly to the Primera M\u00e0quina (First Machine): a waterfall used for making electricity. Following the irrigation channel upstream, they will then come to the Segona M\u00e0quina (Second Machine). In the cases of both the first and second machines, only the falls now remain, as the buildings that used to house the turbines have been knocked down. Continuing along the route, visitors will discover the Nou Salts (Nine Falls), where there is a small power station and a leisure area. Following the banqueta (the term used to refer to the paths that run along the banks of the channel) visitors will then reach the Canal d\u2019Urgell. A short distance up this canal, they will find El Collet, an area planted with trees which has a mini power station for generating electricity. It is then on to Les Borges Blanques. From there, visitors will begin the southern part of the route, which follows the border between the irrigated and dryland areas and reveals an important contrast in countryside. Two kilometres later, visitors will come to a rest area. Without leaving the banqueta of the canal, visitors will then reach the Casella del Tei (a small building). From this point on, the route leaves the banqueta and follows the footpath to Miravall and leads on to the village of Juneda, where the route ends. &nbsp; A brief history of the canal Historically speaking, transporting water to arid zones has long been a highly practical and valued activity, while irrigating the Lleida plain has been one of the main objectives of the canal for many generations. The first evidence of irrigation on these lands dates back to the Middle Ages and the time of King Pere III (el Cerimoni\u00f3s \u2013 the Ceremonious). From that time, and through until the middle of the 19th century, a number of irrigation channels were built; these included the s\u00e8quia nova (new channel) and s\u00e8quia reial (royal channel), the main canal, and the Tiurana reservoir and the auxiliary canal of Camarasa. However, the present Canal d\u2019Urgell, which was based on a project by Pere de Andr\u00e9s i Puigdollers and constructed under the guidance of the engineer Domingo Cardenal i Gandasegui, was not built until 1853. The canal has a total length of 144.2 km and runs from the dam at El Tossal, in the municipal district of Ponts, to that of Montoliu de Lleida, where its waters flow into the River Segre. The construction of the Canal d\u2019Urgell, its four irrigation channels and the subsequent auxiliary canal opened the way to the construction of a series of other significant works, including reservoirs, tunnels, aqueducts, U-bends, falls and control points&#8230; The route that we propose to visitors runs along a section of the 4th irrigation channel of the canal and the final stretch of the main part of the Canal d\u2019Urgell, where it is possible to see some of the most significant of these constructions. It is important to highlight the Primera and Segona M\u00e0quines, in the municipal district of Juneda, the Nou Salts on the path to Les Borges Blanques, where visitors will find El Collet and the Font Vella (Old Spring), and the Casella del Tei back in Juneda. &nbsp; The Primera M\u00e0quina | The Segona M\u00e0quina The falls at both the Primera M\u00e0quina and the Segona M\u00e0quina were built with the intention of overcoming a sharp change in the level of the land and to reduce the velocity of the water flow. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century, after some citizens from Juneda had visited the Exposition Universelle of Par\u00eds, that the falls were actually used to generate electricity. The buildings that originally housed the machines and turbines are now in ruins and this space has been converted into a place for visits, from which it is possible to watch the water falling from the above the bridge and crossing the fourth irrigation channel. The recovered Salt Desfet Park is a very well-known and popular destination for the local population. &nbsp; The Nine Falls People may think that the water falls were originally constructed in order to take advantage of the water power generated by the falls and to use its power to move turbines and generate electricity; quite a normal exploitation of this type of resource. In this case, however, the Nou Salts (New Falls) were created for a different reason: to slow down the flow speed of water proceeding from other areas and descending a steep gradient. It was not until the end of the 20th century that this change in the level of the land was used to produce electrical energy by harnessing water power. Nowadays, the land around the Nou Salts and the mini power station forms part of a very pleasant natural area. &nbsp; El Collet El Collet and its immediate area is a space where it is possible to find various significant elements that deserve to be highlighted. The first is the fact that this woodland area offers a lot of shade. It is therefore a good point from which to observe how a good quantity of the water in the main canal is diverted to the 4th irrigation channel via a system of sluice gates that now work completely automatically. There is also a small, two storey casella (building). It should be noted that the majority of such buildings only have a ground floor, but a high"}