Novara-Vespolate Terrace

Novara-Vespolate Terrace
Novara-Vespolate Terrace
	The terrace reliefs (pink), south of Novara
	Coordinates: 45°23′31″N 8°38′27″E / 45.391938°N 8.640819°E
Location	Province of Novara, Piedmont, Italy (municipalities of Novara, Garbagna Novarese, Granozzo con Monticello, Nibbiola and Vespolate)
Website	www.provincia.novara.it/Urbanistica/PPNoVesp.php

The Novara-Vespolate Terrace is an Italian fluvioglacial terrace, located in the municipalities of Novara, Garbagna Novarese, Granozzo con Monticello, Nibbiola, and Vespolate. It is bordered to the west by Agogna stream and to the east by the Novara-Mortara railway (part of the Alessandria–Novara–Arona line.^[2]

Geomorphology

Geomorphologically, the area consists of a gravelly fluvioglacial alluvial terrace, which has been modified over time by leveling works to favor rice cultivation. The area is characterized by large open spaces, interrupted mainly by farmsteads and rural settlements. The area bordering the southern part of Novara is particularly affected by the construction of large infrastructures and facilities, such as the Novara ring road, the urban wastewater treatment plant, the high-voltage power line junction area, and the landfill site.^[2]

The altitude of the terrace slopes gently towards the south, with a maximum of 155 m a.s.l. near Via Piazza d'Armi in Novara and a minimum of 123 m a.s.l. at the southern edge in the municipality of Vespolate.^[3]

Surface waters

The surface waters are essentially made up of Agogna and Arbogna streams and the network of artificial canals used for irrigation:^[4]

Quintino Sella canal;
Prina, Ricca, Cattedrale, Pozzo, Boggiani, Dessi, Boggiani, Rì and Germagnone streams;
Olengo, S. Marta and Caccesca (or Cacesca) ditches;
Roggiola spring.

Geology

The nature of the soil consists solely of Quaternary continental deposits of fluvioglacial and fluvial nature:^[5]

from recent and current glacio-fluvial and fluvial floods (Holocene);
from glacio-fluvial floods of the Riss (Pleistocene);
from glacio-fluvial and fluvial floods of the Würm (Late Pleistocene).

The deposits of recent and current fluvioglacial and fluvial floods are found only to the west of the town of Garbagna, where, being linked to floods, they are mainly made up of sandy-silty material.^[5]

The Rissian fluvioglacial alluvial deposits consist of yellowish gravels, sands, and silts; the upper surface layer consists of ochre-yellow clays. The Riss fluvioglacial deposit forms the Novara-Vespolate plateau and the two sub-flat plateaus of Garbagna and Nibbiola. In this area, the spring trend N-S starting from the base of the Rissian terrace, from Olengo to Vespolate, then turns NW-SE.^[5]

Around the Rissian terrace are the deposits of the Würmian alluvial deposits, formed by gravelly-pebbly fluvial-glacial and sandy-silty fluvial materials, respectively upstream and downstream of the spring line.^[5]

The transition from fluvioglacial to fluvial deposits corresponds to a decrease in the granulometry of the soil, consequently determining a lower permeability, thus favouring the surfacing of the aquifer.^[5]

Hydrogeology

The terrace has two aquifer types:^[6]

a shallow one with phreatic characteristics, used for irrigation and only marginally for industrial purposes, whose water flow is NW-SE;
a semi-confined one, in communication with waters of the deep aquifer.

Landscape plan

The landscape plan for the Novara-Vespolate terrace was approved by the Provincial Council of Novara in 2009, aimed at protecting and enhancing the landscape and historical heritage of this area.^[7]

The activities identified by the plan include:

restoration of territorial landmarks, such as hedges and trees along the banks or edges of fields;
maintenance of water sources;
judicious crop diversification;
for the main routes, provision of rest areas and facilities for enjoying the most important landscape features;
for secondary routes, mostly accessible via rural roads, application of restrictions on motorized vehicles.

References

^ Regione Piemonte (30 April 2009). "Piano di gestione di distretto del Po - Direttiva 2000/60 CE" (PDF). Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale del Fiume Po. p. 80. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, p. 14, Il piano paesistico del terrazzo Novara-Vespolate - Inquadramento territoriale.
^ "I caratteristici dossi e le "vallette"". Comune di Garbagna Novarese. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
^ Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, pp. 52–53, Acque superficiali - Qualità delle acque superficiali - Stato di fatto.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, p. 59, Suolo e sottosuolo - Caratterizzazione geologica - Stato di fatto.
^ Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, p. 61, Caratterizzazione idrogeologica - Stato di fatto.
^ Sergio Monferrini, ed. (2014). "Piano Territoriale Provinciale". Oltre la storia - 150 anni di Provincia - Un percorso indelebile al servizio del territorio (PDF). Novara: Province of Novara. p. 48. Retrieved 26 October 2021 – via Academia.

Bibliography

Ventura, Alberto; Ventura, Jacopo; Mussetta, Sara (20 April 2009). "Valutazione Ambientale Strategica (VAS) - Piano paesistico del terrazzo "Novara Vespolate" - Rapporto ambientale" (PDF). Provincia di Novara - Ufficio urbanistica e piano territoriale. Retrieved 4 October 2021.

External links

Tiziana Masuzzo (2009), "Tavola C: Valorizzazione del paesaggio" (PDF), Piano paesistico del Terrazzo Novara-Vespolate, Regione Piemonte e Provincia di Novara, retrieved 15 November 2024 – via Province of Novara

[1] Regione Piemonte (30 April 2009). "Piano di gestione di distretto del Po - Direttiva 2000/60 CE" (PDF). Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale del Fiume Po. p. 80. Retrieved 5 October 2021.

[FOOTNOTEVenturaVenturaMussetta200914Il_piano_paesistico_del_terrazzo_Novara-Vespolate_-_Inquadramento_territoriale-2] Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, p. 14, Il piano paesistico del terrazzo Novara-Vespolate - Inquadramento territoriale.

[3] "I caratteristici dossi e le "vallette"". Comune di Garbagna Novarese. Retrieved 2022-09-11.

[FOOTNOTEVenturaVenturaMussetta200952–53Acque_superficiali_-_Qualità_delle_acque_superficiali_-_Stato_di_fatto-4] Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, pp. 52–53, Acque superficiali - Qualità delle acque superficiali - Stato di fatto.

[FOOTNOTEVenturaVenturaMussetta200959Suolo_e_sottosuolo_-_Caratterizzazione_geologica_-_Stato_di_fatto-5] Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, p. 59, Suolo e sottosuolo - Caratterizzazione geologica - Stato di fatto.

[FOOTNOTEVenturaVenturaMussetta200961Caratterizzazione_idrogeologica_-_Stato_di_fatto-6] Ventura, Ventura & Mussetta 2009, p. 61, Caratterizzazione idrogeologica - Stato di fatto.

[7] Sergio Monferrini, ed. (2014). "Piano Territoriale Provinciale". Oltre la storia - 150 anni di Provincia - Un percorso indelebile al servizio del territorio (PDF). Novara: Province of Novara. p. 48. Retrieved 26 October 2021 – via Academia.

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