The Reno Basin

On the right side of the Reno Valley some of the main geological formations of the Bologna hills outcrop: Varicoloured Shales , Cretaceous in age, recognizable for the badlands and the less strong relief, and the over standing continental and shallow water deposits (conglomerates and sandstones) of the Intra-Apenninic Pliocene, recognizable for the large and massive outcrops and the steep slopes. The continental and shallow water sediments of the Intra-Apenninic Pliocene have been deposited in a basin on the top of the alloctonous complex; this basin was a gulf in the Apennines shoreline from the top of the Lower Pliocene until, probably, the beginning of the Pleistocene; the northern side of the basin was connected to the sea and therefore with the foredeep. Over the whole area a sharp morphologic change can be pointed out: terrain goes from steep slopes covered with woods to low reliefs covered with grasslands. Many evidences of slope instability can be found. Especially on south-facing hillsides, erosive processes easily start badlands (Calanchi) forms, which is one of the greatest geomorphological emergencies in the area. The tributary basins of the Reno river are stretch and narrow shaped along a single axis; their streams flow along a Southwest to Northeast direction. The Reno catchment is generally characterised by a clayey lithology and impermeable soils; drainage density is quite high and hillsides suffer extensive and severe erosion and slope stability problems. Land cover is dominated by rock outcrops or low green cover and woods. Chestnut woods mainly represent land use at higher altitudes, while coppice, pastures and crops are present on milder hillsides. The remaining part of the basin is covered by vineyards, orchards, ponds and urban areas, which are basically located in the valley floor. Precipitation events mainly consist of rainfall and range between 950-1015 mm per year; few snowfalls occur during winter, in the higher part of the basin and a long dry season lasts from the end of June until the mid of August. The narrow and long shape of most of the basins leads to a very short concentration-time and flash flood events are quite common for all of the Reno tributary torrents. Stop 1 – The Lavino torrent monitoring station Stop 2 – Cà di Malta Landslide and Bioengineering works Stop 3 – Monte Sole Park