The confluence and the springs

 

The Riera de Carme is the main tributary of the Anoia River. Its water contribution is significant, as it constitutes one of the main natural outlets of the Carme-Capellades aquifer.

In this area of la Pobla de Claramunt, where old paper mills are still preserved, the confluence between the stream and the Anoia River takes place. Confluence zones between two watercourses are often rich in both fauna and flora.

Natural springs are freshwater points that emerge from a spring and act as natural outlets of aquifers. These areas serve as biodiversity refuges within Mediterranean ecosystems, particularly important during periods of drought, as they provide water and shelter to numerous species.

They are part of the local heritage, both cultural and environmental, and have often been highly valued as spaces for gathering and community interaction by the local population, such as the Cireret springs and the Cal Solà spring, which are nearby.

 

Look closely at:

Liverworts and mosses. Liverworts were among the first terrestrial plants. They do not produce flowers and lack tissues for transporting water, which is why they live in very humid places, forming green carpets where water trickles down. From them evolved the mosses, which also grow near springs.

Ferns. Like mosses and liverworts, ferns have neither flowers nor seeds, but they do possess vascular systems. They reproduce by spores and require water to complete their life cycle.

Maidenhair fern at the Cireret spring. It is characterized by black stalks and fan-shaped pinnae.