Tablas+de+Daimiel+National+Park

=Tablas de Daimiel National Park=

The Tablas de Daimiel, Tables of Daniel, is a nature reserve and national park on the La Mancha plain in southern Spain. Even though it is in an arid part of Spain, it is one of the last remaining wetlands in all of Europe, and the last on the Iberian Peninsula. With only 4,633 acres of land, it is also one of the smallest national parks in Spain. The wetlands are formed by the merging of the Guadiana and Ciguela Rivers.

The Tablas de Daimiel has been a place for hunting waterfowl since the early 14th century. The water in the area has also been used to power mills and provide fishing. In the 1960s a project to protect the wetlands was begun. It was a new way of looking things, protecting the ecosystem itself rather than individual species. It was declared a national park in 1973 and a protected bird conservatory in 1988.

Today the Tablas de Daimiel are in real trouble. The rivers that keep the wetlands wet aren't supplying enough water to keep water levels high enough. There is also an ongoing problem with the amount of wells in the area. For years, farmers have been draining the water table around the wetlands which has also lowered the water table. The peat has started to combust, causing underground fires. These fires are only going to get worse unless the water levels rise.

The park is full of wildlife. While hiking through Tablas de Daimiel, you can see grebe, herons, egrets, ducks, white spoon bills, flamingos, turtles, water snakes, European tree frogs, newts, toads, wild boar, fox, polecats, otters, weasels, and rabbits.