The Fondazione Parco del Piano di Magadino has commissioned the Lucchini-Mariotta e Associati SA firm in Dongio to design the revitalization interventions for the Progero amphibian spawning site of national importance, project no. SA_TI10. The intervention was funded by the Canton, Municipalities, and the Confederation.
The Progero Pond is located within a vast deposition zone of the Progero Valley stream, bounded upstream by a masonry check dam and downstream by a channel that conveys flows into the Ticino River. The sector is located within the municipal territory of the city of Bellinzona, in the Gudo district. The morphology and hydrology of the deposition zone are influenced by the natural dynamics of the Progero stream, whose catchment area extends up to an altitude of 1,850 m and measures 3.67 km2.
After several years without material transport events, in 2020 the stream transported large quantities of material downstream, completely remodeling the area and filling the existing inventoried bodies of water.
In February 2022, the two original bodies of water were re-excavated. The first, located further upstream, was found to be fed only by the stream and was refilled by its deposits the following year.
The conservation of the Progero amphibian spawning site of national importance depends strictly on the protection and restoration of sufficient bodies of water as breeding habitats. Given past experiences in this sector, particular importance must be given to ensuring the water supply. For this reason, in addition to the natural groundwater ponds, the creation of the lined pond outside the stream bed, in an elevated position, and the related water supply pipes is particularly justified.
