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Cervo (torrent)
Encyclopedia
The Cervo is a 65 km torrent
(a form of seasonally intermittent stream) in the Piedmont
region of north-west Italy
. It is the principal tributary of the river Sesia
, which itself is a significant tributary of the Po
.
(communes of Piedicavallo
, Rosazza
, Campiglia Cervo
, Sagliano Micca
, Andorno Micca
, Tollegno
, Biella
, Candelo
and Castelletto Cervo
) and Vercelli
(Quinto Vercellese
).
The Cervo’s source is the Lago della Vecchia
(close to the Rifugio della Vecchia) in the Biellese Prealps
. From the Lago della Vecchia
it flows rapidly through a large number of communes of the Valle del Cervo. Close to Tollegno
it receives the torrent Oropa from the right then crosses the eastern part of the city of Biella
, in particular the quarter of Chiavazza.
From here the valley widens and the torrent flows more slowly along a broad and pebbly stream bed. In this section of its course the Cervo is united with a number of modest tributaries: the Mologna, the Chiebbia, the Lu Rialet, the Ostola and the Bruma. Near the small country town of Cossato
the flow grows visibly when the torrent is joined from the left by the Strona di Mosso. Beyond Castelletto Cervo
it enters the plain of the province of Vercelli
.
In the Vercellese plain, where the Canale Cavour crosses over the torrent, the Cervo is significantly enriched by the contribution of numerous minor water courses and canals. In the area of Collobiano
it is joined by more important torrents: the Rovasenda and Marchiazza from the left and from the right the Elvo
, its most important tributary.
At this point the Cervo turns from a torrent into a river which can be expected to flow continuously throughout the year. It advances lazily towards the Sesia
which it joins near Quinto Vercellese
as its most important tributary.
Despite the Cervo’s generous mean discharge
of c. 30 m³/s at its confluence with the Sesia
, its regime is sharply torrential. The highest rates of flow occur with the melting of the prealpine snows in the late spring, and above all with the autumn rains. The latter can lead to such disastrous floods as occurred in 1968 and 2002. In the summer, however, the discharge is much diminished and significant tracts may dry up completely as a result of the heavy exploitation of its water.
are present. Beyond Biella and in the Vercellese plain members of the carp family are found and it falls into “Category B”.
Torrente
Torrente may refer to:* Torrent, Valencia, a municipality located within the metropolitan area of the city of the Spanish city Valencia* Torrente , a Parisian haute couture fashion house founded by designer Rosette Torrente-Mett in 1969; current creative director Julien Fournie* Gonzalo Torrente...
(a form of seasonally intermittent stream) in the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
region of north-west Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is the principal tributary of the river Sesia
Sesia
Sesia may refer to:* Sesia River, in northwest Italy* Sesia , a district during the First French Empire, named after the river* Sesia, a genus of moths* The Valsesia, the river’s valley...
, which itself is a significant tributary of the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
.
Geography
It crosses the provinces of BiellaProvince of Biella
The Province of Biella is a province of Italy located in Piedmont. It was created in 1992 and its capital is the city of Biella.It has an area of 913 km², and a total population of 187,249...
(communes of Piedicavallo
Piedicavallo
Piedicavallo is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Biella...
, Rosazza
Rosazza
Rosazza is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 89 and an area of 8.7 km²....
, Campiglia Cervo
Campiglia Cervo
Campiglia Cervo is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 4 km northwest of Biella...
, Sagliano Micca
Sagliano Micca
Sagliano Micca is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 6 km north of Biella....
, Andorno Micca
Andorno Micca
Andorno Micca is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km northeast of Turin and about 4 km northwest of Biella...
, Tollegno
Tollegno
Tollegno is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 2 km northwest of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,678 and an area of 3.4 km².Tollegno borders the following municipalities:...
, Biella
Biella
Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan.It lies in the foothills of the Alps,...
, Candelo
Candelo
Candelo is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 4 km southeast of Biella....
and Castelletto Cervo
Castelletto Cervo
Castelletto Cervo is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 20 km southeast of Biella...
) and Vercelli
Province of Vercelli
Vercelli is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is Vercelli., it has an area of 2,088 km², and a total population of 176,829...
(Quinto Vercellese
Quinto Vercellese
Quinto Vercellese is a comune in the Province of Vercelli in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 8 km northwest of Vercelli. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 438 and an area of 11.1 km².Quinto Vercellese borders the following...
).
The Cervo’s source is the Lago della Vecchia
Lago della Vecchia
Lago della Vecchia is a lake in the Prealps of the Province of Biella in the Piedmont region of Italy. At an elevation of 1865 m, its surface area is 0.06448 km²....
(close to the Rifugio della Vecchia) in the Biellese Prealps
Biellese Prealps
The Biellese Prealps, or prealpi biellesi form an area of the Italian prealps situated to the south of the Pennine Alps. Sometimes they are regarded as a distinct Alpine group, at others as a subgroup of the Pennine Alps....
. From the Lago della Vecchia
Lago della Vecchia
Lago della Vecchia is a lake in the Prealps of the Province of Biella in the Piedmont region of Italy. At an elevation of 1865 m, its surface area is 0.06448 km²....
it flows rapidly through a large number of communes of the Valle del Cervo. Close to Tollegno
Tollegno
Tollegno is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 2 km northwest of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,678 and an area of 3.4 km².Tollegno borders the following municipalities:...
it receives the torrent Oropa from the right then crosses the eastern part of the city of Biella
Biella
Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan.It lies in the foothills of the Alps,...
, in particular the quarter of Chiavazza.
From here the valley widens and the torrent flows more slowly along a broad and pebbly stream bed. In this section of its course the Cervo is united with a number of modest tributaries: the Mologna, the Chiebbia, the Lu Rialet, the Ostola and the Bruma. Near the small country town of Cossato
Cossato
Cossato is a comune in the province of Biella, Italy, in the north-west part of Piedmont, 11.6 km to the east of Biella.It is crossed by the Strona di Mosso stream....
the flow grows visibly when the torrent is joined from the left by the Strona di Mosso. Beyond Castelletto Cervo
Castelletto Cervo
Castelletto Cervo is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 20 km southeast of Biella...
it enters the plain of the province of Vercelli
Province of Vercelli
Vercelli is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is Vercelli., it has an area of 2,088 km², and a total population of 176,829...
.
In the Vercellese plain, where the Canale Cavour crosses over the torrent, the Cervo is significantly enriched by the contribution of numerous minor water courses and canals. In the area of Collobiano
Collobiano
Collobiano is a comune in the Province of Vercelli in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 11 km northwest of Vercelli....
it is joined by more important torrents: the Rovasenda and Marchiazza from the left and from the right the Elvo
Elvo
The Elvo is a 53 km torrent in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy and is the principal tributary of the Cervo...
, its most important tributary.
At this point the Cervo turns from a torrent into a river which can be expected to flow continuously throughout the year. It advances lazily towards the Sesia
Sesia
Sesia may refer to:* Sesia River, in northwest Italy* Sesia , a district during the First French Empire, named after the river* Sesia, a genus of moths* The Valsesia, the river’s valley...
which it joins near Quinto Vercellese
Quinto Vercellese
Quinto Vercellese is a comune in the Province of Vercelli in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 8 km northwest of Vercelli. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 438 and an area of 11.1 km².Quinto Vercellese borders the following...
as its most important tributary.
Regime
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
of c. 30 m³/s at its confluence with the Sesia
Sesia
Sesia may refer to:* Sesia River, in northwest Italy* Sesia , a district during the First French Empire, named after the river* Sesia, a genus of moths* The Valsesia, the river’s valley...
, its regime is sharply torrential. The highest rates of flow occur with the melting of the prealpine snows in the late spring, and above all with the autumn rains. The latter can lead to such disastrous floods as occurred in 1968 and 2002. In the summer, however, the discharge is much diminished and significant tracts may dry up completely as a result of the heavy exploitation of its water.
Angling and water quality
The Cervo is classified as a “Category A” water course in the upper Valle Cervo from its source to Biella; here troutsTrout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
are present. Beyond Biella and in the Vercellese plain members of the carp family are found and it falls into “Category B”.