Following the experience on the Giovenco River last year, a new initiative is about to take shape to remove an unused and obsolete weir on the Liri River, in the territory of San Vincenzo Valle Roveto. This project is part of “Wild Lyric,” conducted by Rewilding Apennines and funded by the Open Rivers Programme and Rewilding Europe.
On Friday, September 19th at 5:30 PM, the first public meeting of the “Wild Lyric” project will be held in the council chamber of the Municipality of San Vincenzo Valle Roveto. The goal is to allow the Liri River to flow freely for approximately 11 km by removing a weir built decades ago for a sewage plant that was never constructed, rendering the barrier completely unnecessary.
Rewilding Apennines conducted a feasibility study in 2023 with support from the European Open Rivers Programme, drafted the executive project in 2024 with funding from Rewilding Europe, and submitted the removal operation for approval late last year. They received additional significant financial backing from ORP, for a total cost of 154,000 euros.
Mario Cipollone, team leader of Rewilding Apennines, states: “Following our successful removal of barriers on the Giovenco River—an unprecedented achievement in Central-Southern Italy, reached in October 2024—securing new funding to free another Apennine River, the Liri, makes my team and me very proud. We are grateful to the Open Rivers Programme and Rewilding Europe for supporting these initiatives across Europe—fully aligned with EU regulations on ecological restoration—enabling the fragile balance of river ecosystems to be restored and protected for the benefit of wildlife, plant life, and local communities.”
Engineer Bernardo Bartolomucci, Rewilding Apennines’ technical consultant responsible for the project, explains: “The constructed barrier, built 25 years ago, measures 100 meters, with only 30 meters in the riverbed. The rest of the structure is near the railway on the right side and along the Marsicana road and other municipal roads on the left side, affecting the river’s floodplain and stabilizing its channel. The planned removal will focus solely on the in-stream section of the barrier to enable fish to move upstream and downstream naturally and freely. Additionally, a 12-meter section of the right bank will be reconstructed to address erosion-related collapses of gabions supporting that bank. This will ensure the stability of the riverbed and banks, especially near infrastructure and inhabited areas.”
Both the Municipality of San Vincenzo Valle Roveto and the Technical Coordination of the Liri River Contract consider the removal of the barrier to be consistent with the broader strategies of the Contract and welcome the public event on September 19th as an opportunity to inform local communities about the upcoming works, supported by the Abruzzo Region through the FSC 2021-2027 funds. Gianni Petricca, Technical Office Manager of the Municipality of Morino, will present a report on these projects.
The public event will feature speeches from the mayors of the Liri River Contract municipalities: Carlo Rossi of San Vincenzo Valle Roveto and Roberto D’Amico of Morino; Mario Cipollone, team leader of Rewilding Apennines; Engineer Bernardo Bartolomucci, technical consultant of Rewilding Apennines; Gianni Petricca, Technical officer of the Municipality of Morino and of the Liri River Contract; and Amilcare D’Orsi, river ecologist and technical advisor for the Liri River Contract. At the end of the presentations there will be a debate with the audience and after the meeting, a convivial moment will be offered by Rewilding Apennines.
Activities related to this initiative will continue, with a shared commitment to raise awareness among local communities about the importance of protecting and restoring river ecosystems, engaging various stakeholders across the Valle Roveto.
