Over 8 million euros for the modernization of the Castions Canal

Reduction of water losses in irrigation channels , efficiency of the water network, containment of energy consumption of pumping systems from the aquifer, lower maintenance costs. These are the objectives of the modernization project of the Castions Canal that crosses six municipalities - Udine, Campoformido, Pozzuolo del Friuli, Pavia di Udine, Mortegliano and Castions di Strada, where it feeds the majority of the existing irrigation systems -, which has obtained an allocation of 8,350,000 euros from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, as part of a national plan for the infrastructural development and resilience of irrigated agro-systems, financed until 2027 with a total allocation of 440 million euros.

THE CASTIONS CANAL The Castions Canal is part of the Ledra-Tagliamento system , which derives its waters from the Tagliamento river in the Ospedaletto area (Gemona) and from the Ledra river in the Andreuzza area (Buia), conveying them to the area through a network of approximately 350 km. From the main Ledra-Tagliamento canal, leaving the hilly area and entering the plain, it bends eastwards towards the city of Udine, where a network of secondary canals originates in a north-south direction – including the Castions Canal – which conveys the waters towards the irrigation areas. Built between 1928 and 1960, the existing distribution canals, despite the waterproofing and various maintenance interventions, show a significant loss of irrigation water, due both to infiltration into the soil and to the deterioration of the coverings.

THE WORKS The intervention therefore includes the concrete lining of the wet part of the canal only, the demolition with relative reconstruction of the damaged structures , the maintenance of the crossings , the greening of the banks. The project extends along 13.8 km, divided into 12 sections , between the intake point in Udine in the Gervasutta area, and the outlet in Castions di Strada – SS napoleonica. The contract was awarded through a negotiated procedure according to the criterion of the most economically advantageous offer to the temporary grouping of companies Ferrari ing. Ferruccio Srl (Rovereto) and I.CO.SSrl (Tolmezzo). The duration of the works is set at 300 days, with suspension during the irrigation period (end of May-end of September) so as not to interfere with local agricultural needs.

THE PF LAND RECLAMATION CONSORTIUM “The interventions financed by the Region and the State, such as those relating to the Castions canal that we are carrying out in the area with a detailed and defined program for the next five years and with overall resources that are close to 150 million euros , have the aim of modernizing the existing infrastructure network by replacing damaged pipes, transforming irrigation to make the service more efficient for companies and more suitable for a careful use of water resources – explains the president of the consortium Rosanna Clocchiatti -. With the computerization connected to the systems, then, it will be possible to irrigate only where and when needed, with the right amount of water in relation to the type of soil, weather events, and crops in progress”. Also present at the presentation of the work were the director Armando Di Nardo , the technical director Stefano Bongiovanni and the deputy technical director Massimo Ventulini , together with the engineers and workers of the institution, the mayor of Mortegliano, Roberto Zuliani, local administrators and trade associations.

THE FVG REGION “Having resources is important, but knowing how to manage them quickly and with a long-term vision is even more so. For this reason, credit must be given to the Friulian Plain Land Reclamation Consortium and its entire technical structure, which works with skill and commitment, even under pressure , to translate the available funds into concrete, timely and effective projects”. This is how the Councillor for Agri-food, Forestry and Fishing Resources of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Stefano Zannier, commented on the modernization works of the Castions Canal, underlining how the intervention is part of a much broader plan: “We are talking about complex works, also supported by other financial instruments, where the Land Reclamation Consortium not only designs and implements, but plays a fundamental planning role, maintaining a constant interconnection with the agricultural system and respecting the criteria of environmental sustainability”.

PNRR FUNDS Zannier then drew attention to the issue of the PNRR funds: “The rules were defined at European and national level, without the involvement of the Regions – he pointed out -. If we had been able to decide, we would have selected interventions more consistent with the needs of the territory. Just to convert the obsolete irrigation systems, over a billion euros would be needed, a figure that today, and not even tomorrow, the Region can afford”. Hence the need to focus on planning : “We cannot act for local or political logics – said the councilor -. We need structured plans, which only the Consortia, in coordination with farmers and local administrations, can guarantee . It is the smartest way to avoid harmful fragmentation and duplication”. Finally, an acknowledgement to the sector: “This is an excellent example of how to make the best use of what there is, without asking for anything more – concluded the councilor -. Agriculture in Friuli is advanced, responsible, aware of its role. We continue to build and manage the territory, with coherence and vision. Because without agriculture, those fields would have no future”.