The Magra River (Italy): effects of the 25th October 2011 flood event and a preliminary application of the IDRAIM framework

The Magra River catchment experienced an extreme flood event on 25th October 2011, with return periods ranging from about 100–200 years along the Magra, and up to 500 years along some tributaries. This flood event resulted in morphological changes, flooding, damages and loss of human lives, and has further exacerbated existing conflicts in river management. Such conflicts stem from flood safety being the main management priority, but a growing recognition that preservation of channel forms and physical processes is also important for the aims of the Water Framework Directive. The objectives of this study are to: (1) document channel changes that occurred during this large flood, and analyse them in the context of the longer term (last 150 years) evolutionary trajectory of the river; (2) analyse potential conflicts between preservation of morphological functioning and dynamic mitigation of the channel resulting in increased hazards related to processes of erosion or aggradation.