Photos

Yesterday at dusk I captured this view of Tagliamento river: weather were sharp, as it had been raining for two days.
This huge river sometimes becomes full of water, and becomes a big danger for seaside populations. Government planned to build three flood retention basins, and mountain populations are struggling against that. I post a note by WWF about this big problem.


From WWF website:
The Tagliamento River in Italy, a crucial fight!
In North-Eastern Italy there is a remarkable gravel-bed river that retains the dynamic nature and morphological complexity that must have characterised many Alpine rivers in the pristine stage.
This river system, the Fiume Tagliamento, (178km long) is considered as the last morphologically intact river in the Alps.

Although the Tagliamento is considered to be the most natural river system in the Alps, it is not without human impacts. Major human influences on the main river corridor are water abstraction in the upper Tagliamento valley, organic pollution, and gravel exploitation.

Many small tributaries contain drop structures to inhibit erosion and channel incision. Europe's main universities and research centres are presently studying the Tagliamento River which is seen as presenting the last possible opportunities for experimenting new river restoration.

The Tagliamento River in Italy offers the rare opportunity to investigate natural processes at a scale that can be studied nowhere else in Europe. This remarkable river corridor exemplifies the ecological processes and patterns that must have characterised Alpine gravel bed rivers.

The Fiume Tagliamento is clearly a river ecosystem of European importance, since it constitutes a unique resource as a model reference catchment. However, the Tagliamento is a highly endangered ecosystem.

The regional government is planning 14 km2 large flood retention basins in the most natural section.

For WWF European Alpine Programme the Tagliamento river system is a symbol, a "panda of rivers" that deserves the highest protection.

The WWF European Alpine Programme has declared its role absolutely crucial and currently the WWF offices in Germany, Italy, France and Austria are involved in a common conservation project.