Case study:Lower Aurino river: Molini di Tures riverbed widening
Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Monitoring, Spatial planning |
Country | Italy |
Main contact forename | Caterina |
Main contact surname | Ghiraldo |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano |
Contact organisation web site | |
Partner organisations | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
Project summary
The Aurino river is a typical Alpine watercourse (basin Area 630 km2, average discharge in summer 30-50 m3/s) affected in the past by gravel extraction, construction of bank defences along part of its course and a major reduction of sediment load from upstream, due to weirs and other protection measures in most tributaries. This determined channel incision, reduction of riverbed width, alteration of morphological structures and dynamics and as a consequence reduced connection with the floodplain, lowering of the groundwater level and loss of riparian habitats (especially hygrophilic riparian forests of Alnus incana). A major effect was also a reduced flood retention capacity, and its recovery by reverting the incision process was one of the main drivers, together with biodiversity increase, to implement a catchment scale restoration scheme. This has been carried out, step by step, for more than a decade and further measures are foreseen.
The riverbed widening in "Molini di Tures" included removing a total of 9500 m3 of gravel from the disconnected floodplain, doubling (from 15 to 30 m) the width of the river; stones and woody debris were reintroduced and secondary branches were recreated. A monitoring activity has been implemented to study the geomorphological and biological effects of the project.
Monitoring surveys and results
Lessons learnt
Catchment and subcatchment
Edit the catchment and subcatchment details
(affects all case studies in this subcatchment)
Catchment
River basin district | Alpi Orientali |
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River basin | Adige |
Subcatchment
River name | Aurino |
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Area category | 100 - 1000 km² |
Area (km2) | 630630 km² <br />63,000 ha <br /> |
Maximum altitude category | more than 2000 m |
Maximum altitude (m) | |
Dominant geology | |
Ecoregion | Alps |
Dominant land cover | Grassland |
Waterbody ID |
Other case studies in this subcatchment: Lower Aurino master plan, Lower Aurino river: San Giorgio di Brunico riverbed widening
Site
Name | Molini di Tures |
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WFD water body codes | 03SS3N |
WFD (national) typology | |
WFD water body name | D_c Torrente Aurino |
Pre-project morphology | Single channel |
Reference morphology | Braided |
Desired post project morphology | |
Heavily modified water body | No |
National/international site designation | |
Local/regional site designations | |
Protected species present | Yes |
Invasive species present | No |
Species of interest | |
Dominant hydrology | |
Dominant substrate | Gravel |
River corridor land use | Grassland |
Average bankfull channel width category | 10 - 50 m |
Average bankfull channel width (m) | |
Average bankfull channel depth category | 0.5 - 2 m |
Average bankfull channel depth (m) | |
Mean discharge category | 10 - 100 m³/s |
Mean annual discharge (m3/s) | |
Average channel gradient category | |
Average channel gradient | |
Average unit stream power (W/m2) |
Project background
Reach length directly affected (m) | 400400 m <br />0.4 km <br />40,000 cm <br /> |
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Project started | 2002 |
Works started | |
Works completed | |
Project completed | 2013/12/31 |
Total cost category | 50 - 100 k€ |
Total cost (k€) | 100100 k€ <br />100,000 € <br /> |
Benefit to cost ratio | |
Funding sources | Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano |
Cost for project phases
Phase | cost category | cost exact (k€) | Lead organisation | Contact forename | Contact surname |
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Investigation and design | |||||
Stakeholder engagement and communication | |||||
Works and works supervision | |||||
Post-project management and maintenance | |||||
Monitoring |
Reasons for river restoration
Measures
Structural measures
| |
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Bank/bed modifications | Riverbed widening and diversification |
Floodplain / River corridor | Floodplain reconnection |
Planform / Channel pattern | Removal of riprap anc creation of new natural channels |
Other | |
Non-structural measures
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Management interventions | |
Social measures (incl. engagement) | Citizen participation in the restoration project |
Other |
Monitoring
Hydromorphological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative | |||
Channel pattern/planform | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Improvement |
Structure & condition of riparian/lake shore zones | No | No | No | Yes | No | Improvement |
Biological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative | |||
Invertebrates | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No change |
Physico-chemical quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Monitoring documents
Image gallery
Additional documents and videos
Additional links and references
Link | Description |
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Supplementary Information
Edit Supplementary Information