River Llobregat Springs

River Llobregat source at Castellar de n’Hug

The sources of the river Llobregat

The river Llobregat springs (in Catalan, Fonts del Llobregat) are underground water springs in Paleozoic calcareous rocks that are found at the source of the river of the same name, in the "pleta Roja" (1,295 meters of altitude), within the municipality from Castellar de n'Hug, in the Bergadá region, in Catalonia.

Location of Llobregat springs

They are located approximately half a kilometer west of town. It is a place very visited by tourists and hikers.

The sources where the river is born spring directly from the cliffs that border Castellar de n'Hug, and form a rich and rapid waterfall. The source of the river is worth visiting for its spectacular nature, especially in times of abundant waters.

Formation of the springs

The source is formed where the contact between the Devonian calcareous rocks and the Permian clay rocks on which they rest, despite being more modern, emerges. The water that goes down through the cracks and cavities of the calcareous rocks (karst aquifer) runs into the clay layer, much more impermeable, and rises to the surface. A similar situation occurs in the nearby sources of the Bastareny and is typical of the karst aquifers, where it is usual to find few sources but of important flow.

The flow of the source is around 4 m³ per second.

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Date: June 2019
Photographer: Merche Mateo
Additional information: Fonts del Llobregat