Sarca River Water Levels Drop as Environmental Protest Awaits July 2
June 22nd was supposed to be a special day for environmentalists: the beginning of the end of reckless exploitation of rivers and natural water resources by large hydropower concessions, and the start of a phase with increased attention to principles, emphasizing that all humans are merely custodians of a world to be transmitted to future generations.
Current Situation and Environmental Initiatives
However, the water flowing into the Sarca riverbed for a week now does not flow in sufficient quantity to rekindle even in the older generations the memory of what the river was until the late 1950s, when Sism, through its system of tunnels and power plants, managed to dry out the stretch between Sarche and Pietramurata and reduced the section near Arco to a miserable trickle.
There’s so little water flowing, so scant and sparse, that it has invigorated two environmental associations, Titanic and the Permanent Committee for Water Defense, which have organized a protest for next Sunday, July 2, at the Arco bridge.
Regulatory Measures and the Sarca Situation
The Autonomous Province of Trento — at the forefront in Italy — has mandated that major water rights holders release 2 liters of water per second per square kilometer of watershed. For the Sarca, this amounts to 1,660 liters per second: and since June 22, this amount has been released by Enel.
But this is absolutely not enough for the river to resume its natural role and function within the ecosystem that includes the Brenta and Presanella, Val di Genova, Rendena, Giudicarie, Banale, Bleggio, and the Sarca valley.
Water’s Role and Requests for Protection
“Flowing waters,” states the committee, “are like a system of veins and arteries traversing the territory, enabling the distribution of water resources and vital organic substance recycling processes from the catchment basins.
Water and aquatic environments cannot be managed in a sectoral manner or exploited unilaterally.” This leads to a specific demand for a change in the “water policy.”
This involves studying, river by river, the minimum vital discharges for the environment and defining a corresponding seasonal regulation of releases that respects the river’s natural seasonal patterns.
Protest and Planned Initiatives
To advocate for this further change, there will be a demonstration between 10 a.m. and noon.
The event begins with an informational session on the features of large water rights and a toast to the release initiated last June 22, which is considered a success nonetheless.
Following this, bottles of water bottled at the source will be presented and uncorked; there will be a performance by Dellai, which will be very well received because, in the absence of water, even immersion is completely harmless; the organizers’ kayaks will be hung from the bridge.