The Tanque do Outeiro, located in the parish of Paranhos, is a body of water divided into two sections that is very important for dragonfly populations and has great ecological potential for the colonization of new species.
During the tank’s rehabilitation, the Municipality of Porto, with support from CIIMAR, removed organic matter and excess vegetation from the banks, cleared urban solid waste, installed ramps and access points for amphibians, and enhanced the biodiversity of the fauna and flora.
Nowadays, this pond, teeming with diverse flora, is also home to species such as the palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus), the iberian newt (Lissotriton boscai) and the midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans).
In addition to conserving and promoting biodiversity, this body of water serves the environmental functions of thermal regulation and rainwater harvesting. The water is subsequently drained into one of the branches of the Ribeira da Asprela and infiltrates into the ground, thereby reducing the risk of flooding and promoting the recharge of aquifers.
The rehabilitation of the pond was carried out as part of the MoRe Porto project, now known as Água com Vida Porto. The main objectives of this collaboration are to increase knowledge of the city’s wetlands, mapping, biological inventory and characterisation, with a view to adopting conservation and restoration measures and creating new water bodies.
