10451 Save Lago Trasimeno before it's too late!

Anyone who has seen Lake Trasimeno this summer will hopefully realise that the lake is in great danger. The water level is very low and there is far too much recent development around the lake. If in England we could protest, campaign and use the press. Here we feel impotent and cannot break through the mesh of deceit and "self-gain". Through the valliant efforts of Élisabeth SCHNEITER, based in Paris but with a country house here since the '60's, the development of a huge quarry over looking the lake was stopped last year, she is again trying to make all of us aware of the dangers now facing Lago Trasimeno.

Facts and recent developments

Over the last 25 years Lake Trasimeno and its surrounding area have undergone accelerating devastation. The lake is now on the verge of turning into a swamp – water levels are on a clear downward trend, albeit with ups and downs, and yet water is still being pumped out both legally and illegally in order to meet the needs of water-greedy and polluting agricultural practices the market survival of which hinges mainly on state and EU subsidies.

In addition the once peaceful and green surrounding hills are increasingly being built up and taken over by huge condominiums, massive developments, industrial warehouses and shopping centers – with no regard whatsoever for landscape conservation, quality of life or the area’s potential as a tourist destination.

The facts behind the Regional Park scheme

A Regional Nature Park was set up in 1995 with a view to protecting the lake and its environment, but to no avail. The Nature Park Plan – which is in any event more descriptive than prescriptive of specific conservation measures - is still - after 13 years! - pending approval by the Regional authorities. In the meantime, more destruction is being wrought.

Should the Plan be vetted, it will however not apply to the full area that warrants protection: this area (Passignano sul Trasimeno) was originally to be included in the Park, but the various municipalities bordering on the lake refused to approve this, opting for more real estate development and subsequent economic benefits. In its current form, the Park only includes the actual water surface area, the unalienable slice of State land on the actual shore – a few yards deep – and the Castiglione airport strip that belongs to the State. On nearly all the surrounding hills – that were initially to be included within the Park area – permits are being granted for ever more real estate developments, ever more housing estates, ever more quarries, ever more waste disposal sites.

Just as Castiglione finished work on its 200-berth marina, San Feliciano – where maximum water depth is 1 meter - announced it was adding new berths for 400 boats as well as a new mooring for the APM boat (with its 4 meter draft…). The port area, incidentally, is located near the “Oasi di San Savino”, the only (small) bird sanctuary in the area, which includes enclaves of farmland, so that tractor noise, artificial fertilizers and other economic and tourist-related activities disturb migrating birds.

In addition, a biking path (recently built with EU funding) runs mainly through the “Park”. It runs through wetlands that are the Park’s most precious ecosystem, under Bern Convention protection. The head of the local “Comunità Montana” which built the path has already been sentenced twice for criminal offenses. The bike path per se is strangely enough very wide in some places – up to 2.5 meters wide, actually – and appears to be used more by 4WD than it is by cyclists. It is not maintained because nobody seems to agree as to who is in charge. Moreover, in some areas the path runs below the zero level of the lake’s hydrometric gauge….

Dropping water levels, rising pollution

Ever since a channel was built in 1898 to recoup water from the lake, authorities have contributed to bringing water levels down.

In the eighties five pumping stations were built (with an aggregate pumping capacity of 970 liters per second) in order to meet the needs of the new industrialized agricultural practices that were gradually displacing traditional farming in the areas surrounding the lake and further all the way into Toscana. Water pumping was supposed to terminate at the end of the eighties, when the local irrigation system was supposed to be connected to the Montedoglio basin on the Tiber. That was 27 years ago and the connection has still to happen. There are furthermore no guarantees that the pumping stations will be dismantled if and when the connection to the Montedoglio inflow is completed.

Since 1988 the lake’s depth has systematically been below the zero level of its hydrometric gauge and despite recurrent rises and drops the lake is inexorably becoming shallower. Over the last century it has lost 8% of its surface area and over the last twenty years, over half of the water it contained, historically. Today about 80% of the remaining water has an average depth of less than 3 meters, according to recent nautical maps. The areas where depth is on average in the two-meter range risk turning to marsh in the very near future – thereby becoming unusable for either swimming or recreational boating.

Pollution is developing apace. The lake has turned into a large pond, with growing concentrations of pollutants. These are the byproducts of the fertilizers and pesticides used on and waste generated by the intensive animal farming ventures. According to a survey carried out by the Provincia in 2002 wastewater effluents (household, industrial and urban) running into the lake numbered 1530 (of which 173 direct effluents).

Pig and poultry farms alone (with production at about 80,000 pigs and 800,000 fowl) generate on average some 150,000 cubic meters of excrement. The wastewater processing network may furthermore generate pollution peaks following intense rainfall or peak summer water use as it is obsolete and under-sized.

Italian environmentalist NGO Legambiente collected lake water samples in June 2007 and had them assayed: all contained, inter alia; concentrations of fecal E.coli ten times above legal thresholds.

Despite all this, Regional authorities have not intervened if not to allow ever more water pumping, which brings the water level down and increases pollution.

Unbridled development in the areas surrounding the lake

Various Italian laws and regulations have been passed to protect and conserve sites and landscapes: the hills surrounding Lake Trasimeno are however increasingly being developed through the permissiveness of a number of municipalities favoring short-term financial gain and destructive development.

Despite reports produced by its own department that show that 24% of all existing real estate is unused (with per capita newly built space at 143 square meters as against the 33-50 square meters normally provided for), the Magione township has thus adopted a waiver on the amount of new building permissible which has been raised to +14.8%, as against the 10% cap provided for in the Provincial Land Use Plan. Moreover, this same waiver provides for additional building to be allowed, over and above the aforementioned limits, in the case of semi-basements; this will increase the total building potentially to be allowed by another 20%.

Moreover some 50 wooded areas deemed by law to be completely off limits for building have been reclassified as areas for urban development.

On an aggregate basis, over the last forty years, and in the five townships bordering the lake, new building has totaled more than twice what had been built in past centuries and survived. This has occurred despite there formally being a number of laws aiming to protect the environment, as some townships view real estate development as their main source of funding, through local taxation.

All in all recent trends are destroying a unique environment, its unique ecosystem, and the potential for harmonious development through, inter alia, environmentally sound tourism, all for short term gain. Moreover, most of the devastation has been wrought through the circumvention of existing laws and regulations.

Category

Umbria

It looks as if the problem is huge and difficult to solve as I am certain that corruption and greed are behind all these sad facts. A terrible thing, as Lake Trasimeno is unique and could be easily destroyed. We like the area enormously not only because it is wonderful but also because part of my husband's family originates from Panicale, one of the most beautiful small towns in Italy. It is a very fragile environment that cannot take unplanned and excessive development or it could be ruined for ever. The problem is.... what can be done about stopping all this? Do you have any association that could lead effective action to protect the area?

Given the length of the post must be!!! First thoughts jump to Green Peace??? - [url=http://www.greenpeace.org/italy/]Greenpeace - Home[/url]

[url=http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=Environmental+Issues+Italy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8]Environmental Issues Italy - Google Search[/url]

Perhaps you could set up a petition online Noble and when you do advertise it here and in your local paper. Also a local one.

[url=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=active&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=Setting+up+online+petitions&btnG=Search]Setting up online petitions - Google Search[/url]

It is undoubtedly true that Lago Trasimeno is in a pretty poor state: there simply is not enough water in it. The rainfall over the last few years has been minimal; the drainage channels which (when adequately maintained) feed the lake with a certain amount of rainwater running off the surrounding land are blocked; farmers (although they are not allowed to draw water from the lake in the summer period) can draw it in the winter, and they use it to fill their large irrigation lagoons which they built with EU grants. (This won't happen this year, since the extraction of water even in the winter has been banned.)

There could develop an issue about effluent from factory farms 'poisoning' the lake: however if this happens the discharges will be clearly illegal, and I believe that there is enough concern about the condition of the lake on the part of the local authorities to make it inevitable that transgressions will be prosecuted.

That said, I can make no further sense out of that colourful "press release" which forms the original post. Could you point me at the 'huge quarry' which has been stopped (and why should it have been)? Can you tell me where the 'pumping stations' are? Have you got any pics of SUVs using the cycle path? Where are these housing and commercial developments (and what is worrying about the 'subterranean' bits of building)? What on earth is wrong with constructing moorings for 400 boats at San Feliciano - that implies 400+ extra people interested in the health of the lake to me, and if boating on clearwater isn't sustainable tourism I'd be really fascinated to know what would be.

Since I circumnavigate the lake at least once a week I think I might have noticed this stuff in my back yard - all I can see is that there is no water in the lake and there are loads of moscherini. Oh sorry, it's surely politically incorrect to suggest that free flying insects are anything other than a boon that deserve preserving. Send the bint back to Paris.

I agree with Noble that something must be done to protect the lake and you may be interested in this link [url=http://www.globalnature.org]Willkommen beim Global Nature Fund[/url]. Trasimeno is one of the 29 worldwide lakes of international importance in the Living Lakes project and there is a conference here, this month. With this level of attention it may prompt some long-term action to resolve the problem.
I understand that there is already a pipeline from Tuscany which ends at Tuoro, needing only a few more kms to link it to the lake. However, water is becoming a valuable commodity so other areas are now reluctant to lose their water. Heads need banging together.
On the question of building around the lake, we have a large project near us in San Feliciano. Holiday apartments are being constructed high in the hills. The approval for this was granted in 1996 and still looks far from complete. Some things take a very long time in Italy, so what approvals have been granted since then which are still to be started?
My understanding of the situation of sewerage entering the lake is that the project to stop this was successfully completed in 2007.
Finally, I would welcome the building of additional marinas. The lake seems terribly under-used for recreational purposes and I see very little sailing. A strong sailing community could only help to add weight to maintaining water levels.
PS it’s raining today so maybe that will help!

[quote=Stephen & Janet;97320]I .................I understand that there is already a pipeline from Tuscany which ends at Tuoro, needing only a few more kms to link it to the lake. However, water is becoming a valuable commodity so other areas are now reluctant to lose their water. Heads need banging together...............[/quote]

I fully understand, and agree with, those who "are now reluctant to lose their water". Taking someone else's water does not solve the problem overall.

What is needed is an acceptance that water extraction should be less than water input, and that 'water pollution' must be managed properly

Or you allow it to go the way of some lakes elsewhere in the world - and see it literally 'dry up'

To answer but one of Charles's questions....quote "Could you point me at the 'huge quarry' which has been stopped (and why should it have been)?"

THE BATTLE WAS OVER AND WON in 2007. There had been permission for a quarry to excavate gravel, right above the lake. If you travel the road between Castel Rigone and Passignano, as you look across to the lake on your left, shortly after the Trecine turning, that was the area that would have been defaced. Stop and park your car near to where the road curves and there is armature and consider what has been saved. The campaign was fought by both Italian and foreign journalists, as well as locals, much to the surprise of the Sindaco and Comune representaives of Passignano sul Trasimeno. (I was at the meeting where his astonishment was expressed at the recent international interest and uproar caused by the previous administration, agreeing to the excavation of gravel in this panoramic area). Come over to this side of the lake and take a look at what is going on and be thankful that a woman based in Paris, (but a long time house owner here in Umbria) is prepared to lead the fight to save Lago Trasimeno and the surrounding area for future generations to enjoy.

[quote=Stephen & Janet;97320]I agree with Noble that something must be done to protect the lake and you may be interested in this link [url=http://www.globalnature.org]Willkommen beim Global Nature Fund[/url]. Trasimeno is one of the 29 worldwide lakes of international importance in the Living Lakes project and there is a conference here, this month. With this level of attention it may prompt some long-term action to resolve the problem.
I understand that there is already a pipeline from Tuscany which ends at Tuoro, needing only a few more kms to link it to the lake. However, water is becoming a valuable commodity so other areas are now reluctant to lose their water. Heads need banging together.
On the question of building around the lake, we have a large project near us in San Feliciano. Holiday apartments are being constructed high in the hills. The approval for this was granted in 1996 and still looks far from complete. Some things take a very long time in Italy, so what approvals have been granted since then which are still to be started?
My understanding of the situation of sewerage entering the lake is that the project to stop this was successfully completed in 2007.
Finally, I would welcome the building of additional marinas. The lake seems terribly under-used for recreational purposes and I see very little sailing. A strong sailing community could only help to add weight to maintaining water levels.
PS it’s raining today so maybe that will help![/quote]

Lago Trasimeno lacks the depth of water needed by sailing boats, (it also lacks sufficient wind to make dinghy sailing exciting). A recent example of this was a friend who bought a boat and tried to sail it across from Passignano and moor it at Castiglione del Lago. He met a marshy mudbank long before he could moor his boat and was told just how bad things are for recreational sailors!

A world conference on Living Lakes is taking place at Castiglione from 22 Sept. It is a remarkable opportunity to take action and finally protect the lake to ensure the Trasimeno National Park truly comes into being. But where is this item of the conference agenda? Tragically, another missed opportunity unless we attempt to make an uproar!

About the "Montalcino" project in San Feliciano: 4, maybe 5 buildings four stories high above San Feliciano, taking the place of an old olive grove. The approval for this was NOT granted in 1996. A lady from Italia Nostra, Claudia de Ciuceis, spent EIGHT years of her life fighting this project. A few years ago, SHE WON and this is why nothing has happened yet. But it is starting again and anyone wishing for these hills not to be defaced or hoping to protect te lake can contact Italia Nostra Perugia : 075 515 9586

Wunder - I was refering to a different project, Sole Lago Resort. Thanks for highlighting the efforts on the Montalcino project. I will go and find it. I guess it is up one of the roads from the centre of the village.

I am a guest in Umbria and know very well that there is always more than meets the eye, where local issues are concerned. A Passignano hotelier was asked what pressure, are those dependent upon the Trasimeno tourist trade, bringing to bear upon the local authorities that turn a blind eye to illegal water abstraction, fail to maintain their expensive facilities and are too lazy to charge properly for their use. Reply...."What can I do? We'll have to wait and see what happens".

This summer many foreigners came to the camping sites at Lago Trasimeno saw the condition of the lake and left. A friend has just bought boat on Lake Trasimeno which is now mud bound in Castiglione del Lago's new 400 berth marina. There is plenty of water in the harbour (even now in September over 1.7m) but the entrance is blocked by a bar of mud about 2m across reducing the depth to about 30cm.

The Comune, which apart from initially dredging out the entire basin to 2m has recently invested in 5 brand new 60m Walcon pontoons. The sailing club next door to marina has been dredging the communal entrance channel and has offered to clear the entrance to the public marina, but the Comune is apparently unwilling to pay for the 2 or 3 hours work and so this brand new harbour is now virtually unusable by any craft without flat bottoms.

The Comune charges boat owners €180 per annum but amazingly offered my friend, the remainder of this year free of charge. "It's not worth us charging pro-rata for the 5 months remaining; we'll send you a bill in January for 2009"
Is this attitude to blame for the predicament the lake finds itself in?

If we're lucky we might soon have a large and very fertile valley producing vegetables and maybe even some wine, but more likely, judging by Magione it will be covered with haphazard development, of light industrial parks, retail outlets and cheap housing. At night a mass of orange street lights will replace the reflections of golden sunsets.

I do wonder whether there is anybody attending this 'living lakes' (dying lake?) symposium willing to bring pressure to bear upon the various authorities responsible for the lake's demise? If the locals are unprepared to fight for their environment, the ex-pats must at least attempt do the best they can to save Lago Trasimeno.

10451 Save Lago Trasimeno before it's too late!

construction above San Feliciano