Mapping the presence of longitudinal barriers on the Aterno-Pescara catchment and prioritising them for future removal.
The Aterno-Pescara River basin covers an area of approximately 3,190 km², making it the largest river basin in Abruzzo. It originates in the Monti della Laga, crosses the central Apennines over a length of 152 km, and flows into the Adriatic Sea at the city of Pescara.
| Project status | Live |
|---|---|
| Project type | Barrier identification and prioritisation |
| Country | Italy |
| River | Aterno-Pescara |
| Focal species | Anguilla anguilla, Lampetra planeri, Alosa fallax, Acipenser spp. |
| Organisation | Rewilding Apennines |
| Website | rewilding-apennines.com |
Prior to the industrialisation, pollution, and river artificialisation processes of the twentieth century, the river supported significant populations of anadromous fish species, such as Alosa fallax and sturgeons, as well as catadromous species including the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). The Aterno-Pescara River currently represents the only Adriatic watershed hosting a population of brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri), which is adversely affected by watercourse exploitation and habitat fragmentation across the main channel and its tributaries.
This initiative aims to extend the systematic mapping of river barriers across the entire Aterno-Pescara river catchment, with the objective of reconnecting as many kilometres of watercourse as possible (with a minimum target of 30 km), removing at least two priority barriers, improving habitat conditions for existing fish populations and facilitating the potential return of locally extirpated species.
River barriers will be surveyed within the following tributaries: Vetoio, Sagittario, Tirino, Raio, Vera, Vella, Orta, Lavino, Cigno, and Nora.
Funded by
