Serpis

The Serpis River or Alcoy River is a coastal river in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula that runs through the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, in the Valencian Community (Spain).

He gave his name to a morning newspaper published in Alcoy (Alicante) at the end of the XIX century and to brands of different products, such as olives or absinthe.

Course

The river near Villalonga, in the mountains

The Serpis river is born at the foot of the Carrascal de la Fuente Roja, by the union in the Polop Valley, of the Polop ravine and the Troncal ravine. However, in this initial part the river does not usually carry water except in the rainy season. In the vicinity of Alcoy (Alicante), it is joined on its left bank by the Barchell River, which has a direct current since it collects part of the aquifer from the Sierra de Mariola. At this point it is called Riquer and once inside Alcoy (Alicante), at the end of the Algezares slope, it receives the Molinar river on its right, also of little flow, but continuous, since it flows from the well-known Fuente del Molinar. From here it is already called Serpis (riu d'Alcoi in Valencian). Then receiving on its right bank the contributions of the Zinc ravine and the Chorrador fountain.

The Serpis then crosses Cocentaina (receiving from the right the Frainos river, also popularly known as the Penáguila river), the Alquería de Aznar and Muro de Alcoy, at whose outlet it receives from the left the contribution of the Agres river, swollen by the well-known source of Algares. In Gayanes it gives rise to the natural space of the Gayanes lagoon. Later it reaches Beniarrés, passing through the town of Alcocer de Planes (Alicante) where it widens until it meets the only reservoir in its channel, the Beniarrés reservoir.

Downstream from the reservoir, it receives contributions from the Encantada ravine from the right. Subsequently, the Serpis crosses the municipalities of Lorcha (Alicante), entering an impressive gorge from which it exits in the province of Valencia through the municipalities of Villalonga, Potríes, Beniarjó, Almoines, Real de Gandía and finally ends in Gandía (Valencia)., shortly after receiving its main tributary, the Vernisa river.

Fluvial regime

Its fluvial regime is Mediterranean with a maximum in January and a minimum in August. It has strong floods in autumn as a result of torrential rains. In the flood of October 1, 1986 it carried 770 m³/s in Beniarrés (Alicante). On November 3, 1987, it overflowed in Gandía (Valencia) as a result of 720 mm of rain in 24 hours. The Beniarrés reservoir, with a capacity of 30 hm³, serves to regulate its waters and allows irrigation in the orchards of the Safor region.

Wildlife

In the Serpis river you can find the following fish: catfish, rainbow trout, carp, sun perch and samarugo (in small populations, the largest population of samarugos is in the Barranco de la Encantada).