Wied Ghollieqa
Geography
Wied Għollieqa is situated in the East-North-East of Malta, surrounded by Kappara to the North, the University of Malta to the South, Mater Dei Hospital and the San Ġwann Industrial Estate to the West and Msida to the East. The Eastern end is also traversed by Vjal Mikiel Anton Vassalli, known also as Regional Road.
The valley runs in an easterly direction for all its length and a few centuries ago it also reached the sea. However, during the 19th century, the mouth of the valley was blocked when the villages of Gżira and Ta’ Xbiex were built.
Site Access
Due to the presence of a fence surrounding the entire nature reserve and private land within the valley, access is restricted to three entrances from University (via car park 1, the Mediterranean Institute and the ring road opposite the engineering department), an open gateway from Kappara, or the emergency route for fire trucks from Vjal Mikiel Anton Vassalli.
History
From historical documents it seems that Wied Għollieqa was not studied much in the past and its first reference is by Briffa & Lanfranco in 1986 where the authors describe a number of fungi present in the valley.
In the 1990s, Wied Ghollieqa however started making national headlines due to the proposal for its amalgamation with the ever expanding University and its subsequent development into a car park, science park and engineering department. This idea led to a number of environment groups, mainly Arbor Università, and many students and residents living close by all voicing their opinion against the development.
The first scientific report of the area was drawn up by Arbor Università (1990) where the soil and other physical features of the area, together with vegetation patterns, plans for reforestation and reasons for “saving” Wied Għollieqa were analysed. This report and the commencement of the afforestation project, however, had no effect on the scheduled plans and the car park was being built with the result that many old trees were uprooted, rubble walls bulldozed and fertile soil carted away or dumped.
Finally, in 1991, the Parliamentary Secretary at the time, agreed that there was a basis for Arbor’s proposal to be seriously considered and that the secretariat was evaluating the matter for Wied Għollieqa to become a nature reserve. Eventually, development of the engineering department and science park was shelved and the 1990 afforestation report was revised. In November 1993, legal notice 146 was passed, declaring Wied Għollieqa a Bird Sanctuary as of 1st January 1994.
In 1997, parts of Wied Għollieqa were also declared as a Level 2 Area of Ecological Importance (AEI) and a Level 1 Site of Scientific Importance surrounded by Levels 2 and 3 Buffer Zones according to Government Notice 241 of 1997.
In 1999, the former Environment Protection Department (or EPD, now part of MEPA) gave sole responsibility of the site to Nature Trust (Malta) and in 2000 the Green 2000 Campaign was launched: an ambitious project in which 8,000 trees and shrubs will be planted in the valley throughout the years by members of the public, organisations, etc. The first three trees were planted by the then President of the Republic of Malta, Dr. Guido Demarco, the Prime Minister, Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami, and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Alfred Sant.
In 2001, Wied Għollieqa was also designated as a Tree Reserve/Nature Reserve and in 2003 as a Special Area of Conservation.
Ecology
Biologically, Wied Għollieqa is important for a number of species that live in the area, such as the weasel (Mustela nivalis) which is very rare and reported to live in Wied Għollieqa. Other species include a number of fungi that are rare on a local scale or also on a European scale, such as Inonotus indicus which has been recorded for the first time in Europe from Wied Għollieqa itself. Following reforestation, Wied Għollieqa also houses the largest population in the Maltese Islands of the national tree, the sandarac gum tree (Tetraclinis articulata) giving the area a very high conservation value due to the rarity of the tree. The site is also important since a number of trees protected within the Trees Directive are present in the area and a number of protected birds also use the valley as nesting grounds.
Hydrology
After large amounts of rainfall, a freshwater stream flows down from San Ġwann and is stopped by a small dam beneath San Ġwann ta’ l-Għargħar. Any water not stopped by this dam, however, overflows into its original course and collects into a depression, enclosed on one side by another dam which allows the formation of a freshwater pool. The freshwater pool is however totally exposed to sunlight and air currents and thus water is quickly lost by evaporation and by seepage through the porous bedrock.
The dam maintaining the water in the freshwater pool was constructed in the 1970s mainly for the storage of water but also with the aim of preventing flooding in parts of Gżira. Along the years, however, this wall suffered damages, mainly due to underlying tree roots. For this reason, the Storm Water Unit of the Works and Services Division intervened and repaired the wall to its original state and also excavated part of the valley to rock level in order to hold water there for the ground to absorb. This repair was done between July and August of 2009.
Geology & Geomorphology
It is quite likely that Wied Għollieqa is a river valley and was formed due to erosion during the Quaternary pluvial period. Formation due to tectonics is unlikely due to the absence of main geological faults in the area.
The main rock outcrop is Lower Coralline Limestone but is only exposed in parts of the valley where garigue and steppe are evident.
Structures in Area
The north side is built up with numerous villas and a hotel (which also comprises two tennis courts which are built right in the centre of the valley) while to the south one may find the University of Malta, built in the 1960s (then called the Royal University of Malta). Other landuse structures present include the water catchment area and the adjacent dam, numerous rubble walls (ħitan tas-sejjieħ), the car park, the għorfa and a tree nursery which houses a number of saplings.
Archaeology
The environs of Wied Għollieqa are also home to a number of archaeological remains found in the area. Bugeja (2005), states that in the mid-20th Century, a site was documented to have been found, (though it has not survived) together with flint and prehistoric sherds.
Other remains found in or near Wied Għollieqa include pottery vessels from the first phase of the Bronze Age, a tomb dated to after 50AD containing cremation urns, pottery flasks, jars, saucers, lamps, two female skeletons and one male skeleton, a tower and a cistern (at Ta’ Cieda) and cart ruts (at Mensija).
Literature
Wied Ghollieqa features in a fair amount of literature both from the organisations that have managed it and also in two dissertations carried out as part of the B.Sc. (Hons) degree at the University of Malta:
Reports
Arbor. (1992). Report on Wied Għollieqa including proposed afforestation. Valletta, Malta: Arbor. 34pp + 6 maps.
Arbor Università. (1990). Report on Wied Għollieqa including proposed afforestation. Valletta, Malta: Arbor Università. 20pp + 2 maps.
Grech, C.F. (1993). Pjan ta’ saġġir għar-riżerva masġara li hi proposta għal Wied Għollieqa, għas-sena masġara 1993-1994. Msida, Malta: Università ta’ Malta. 10pp.
Management Plans
Nature Trust (Malta) [NTM]. (1999). Management Plan for Wied Għollieqa 1999-2004. Msida, Malta: Nature Trust (Malta).
Nature Trust (Malta) [NTM]. (2004). Management Plan for Wied Għollieqa l/o San Gwann/Msida 2004-2009. Msida, Malta: Nature Trust (Malta).
Nature Trust (Malta) Publications
Attard, V. (ed.). (2005). Wied Għollieqa. (Archipelago Series: Vol. 1, Issue 7). Valletta, Malta: Nature Trust (Malta).
Dissertations
Calleja, E.J. (1995). An investigation of the vegetation of Wied Għollieqa (Malta) with a plan for its restoration as a protected area. Unpublished B.Sc. (Hons.) Dissertation. Malta: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta.
Engerer, Z.C. (2010). A vegetational investigation of Wied Għollieqa. Unpublished B.Sc. (Hons.) Dissertation. Malta: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta.
