Samoggia flood-basin

The Samoggia flood-basin is situated in Le Budrie (6 km far from San Giovanni in Persiceto), about 1 km far from the bridge.

It was built in 2007 to defend the territory against the floods of the Samoggia.

Since then, it has been undergoing environmental improvement works that have combined its hydraulic function with a naturalistic value.

A permanent wet zone surrounded by shrubs and meadows therefore covers an area of 105 hectares now.

Reforestation in the north and south-west of the Flood-Basin has contributed to the formation of forests where alders, ashes, elms, English oaks, poplars and willows are the prominent trees.

The Flood-Basin is an example of biodiversity where a wide variety of animal species live like the black-winged stilt, duck-hawk, sandpiper, bee-eater, kingfisher, small black tern, grey-goose, stone-falcon, grebe and corn bunting. There is a prevalence of elders, hazels, hawthorns, privets, blackthorns, eglantines and cornels among the vegetal species.

As environmental improvement works haven't ended yet, visitors can only walk along the perimeter of the entire area.

As from the next year visitors will be able to walk through the Flood-Basin thanks to new bike-rides running along ponds and wet zones.

The Flood-Basin is managed by the Servizio Tecnico Bacino Reno of Emilia-Romagna.

According to Avatar Home Tree, a worldwide initiative promoted by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, San Giovanni in Persiceto signed an international agreement with “Earth Day Network” American Environmental Association on 29 ^th July 2010. The intention was to bed 727 trees in the south-west of the Flood-Basin to promote biodiversity as well as protecting the environment.