Groundwater-surface water interaction in the middle Farfa River Valley (Central Italy): a preliminary assessment

The water framework directive (WFD) addressed by the EU raises specific questions on the ecological flow of rivers, requiring a quantitative and qualitative assessment related to ungauged water resources. The Farfa River is one of the most important tributaries on the left bank of Tiber River, upstream Rome in Central Italy. The final part of its course, downstream Granica, is part of the Nazzano-Tevere-Farfa Regional Nature Reserve, a ZPS zone (IT6020018 and IT6030012) and part of EU Natura 2000 network. This part is also the most interesting but at the same time the least studied in terms of hydrogeology and hydrology, characterised by a marked heterogeneity, important artificial modifications along the river and a strong groundwater - surface water interaction. A first quantitative evaluation is the main goal of this study, with discharge measurements carried out in specific sections chosen along the river course, allowing to assess springs’ contribution and human impacts to the Farfa River baseflow.