Lizandro River


The Lizandro also known as Ribeira do Mourão, Ribeira de Anços, Ribeira dos Tostões, Ribeira de Cheleiros, is a river in the district of Lisbon, Portugal. The exact location of its source is unknown, due to a lack of studies. Its mouth is located in Carvoeira, Mafra, Portugal, on a beach named Foz do Lizandro, which has a Blue Flag beach certification. The river's basin has three protected areas: two limestone pavements and the boulder of Lexim. The Cheleiros' valley, through which Lizandro passes through, has been immortalized in Memorial do Convento by José Saramago.

River modifications

The Fort of Zambujal was constructed during the Napoleonic Wars near the Lizandro's mouth, to provide support to the British fleet.
The following bridges cross over the Lizandro river:
About 1.5 km from the coast, a sewage treatment facility was inaugurated in 2015. The facility was built with four tanks, but, as of 2017, it only uses a maximum of two. The number was determined based on an expectation of significant population growth in Mafra and Ericeira. Practically all of the material removed from the water is turned into fertilizer and the remaining is combusted.
In 2018, an Ecological Park was built in Venda do Pinheiro, including a playground, a transport hub, a library, and an interpretation centre dedicated to the Lizandro River.

Natural history

The following species of fish have been documented on the Lizandro river:
In 1993, fish were found dead on the shore. An industrial origin seemed unlikely as the river has no nearby factories, but domestic sewage is discharged into the river.
In 2018, the beach Foz do Lizandro was temporarily interdicted due to elevated concentration of escherichia coli.

Economy and recreation

The river's beach has been the stage of "Surf Summits", a Web Summit pre-conference.
There is an annual raft competition in the river, where people go down the river in their own rafts.