Original Papers
Vol. 15 No. 2 (2026)
Evaluating ecological flow river-fed by carbonate aquifers: results from an integrated multidisciplinary approach on the Nera River (Central Italy)
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 30 June 2026
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Estimating ecological flows is essential in rivers to achieve the objectives defined by the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD). In the framework of an agreement with the Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale dell’Appennino Centrale, the work aims to present the results of an integrated approach developed to consider various factors affecting the river’s ecological flow (hydrological, hydrobiological, hydrogeological, hydro-morphological, and hydrochemical). The present study focuses on the Nera River, a main tributary of the Tiber River, which is primarily fed by groundwater from limestone aquifers. The river catchment hosts strategic water resources that are crucial for providing drinking water and sustaining aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, river water is utilized for hydropower generation, fish farming, and various recreational activities along the river. The ecological status was rated as good based on the New Index of the Ecological Status of Fish Communities (NISECI), along with physicochemical characterization of river water and hydromorphological characteristics as criteria for its definition. Based on a regional model specifically developed for brown trout of rivers in the Tiber River basin (thus applicable to the Nera River), the minimum ecological flow was set at approximately 2.92 m³/s. Based on flow-duration curves, the average and maximum ecological flow values were also identified as 3.71 and 5.07 m³/s, respectively. The analyses carried out by the Water Exploitation Index Plus (WEI+) revealed medium-to-high stress in the catchment; therefore, withdrawals should be carefully re-planned to minimize further impacts on water-dependent ecosystems. The approach proposed for the Nera River highlights the importance of conducting focused, multidisciplinary studies in areas where groundwater withdrawals interact with groundwater-dependent ecosystems, thereby supporting regional management plans that address the needs of both humans and aquatic ecosystems.
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Supporting Agencies
This research has been supported by Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale dell’Appennino Centrale (AUBAC), POA - “ACQUACENTRO” project (CUP F42G16000000001) involving the University of Perugia, Centro Interuniversitario Per L’Ambiente (C.I.P.L.A.), and Umbria Region.Data Availability Statement
The corresponding author can provide the research data, most of which are taken from the Open Data Regione Umbria (https://dati.regione.umbria.it/dataset/?_tags_limit=0&_dcat_subtheme_it_limit=0&tags=meteo&groups=ambientenaturale&organization=regione-umbria&dcat_theme=ENVI).
How to Cite
Evaluating ecological flow river-fed by carbonate aquifers: results from an integrated multidisciplinary approach on the Nera River (Central Italy). (2026). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.7343/as-2026-938
Copyright (c) 2026 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
