Water change in the lagoon

Human settlements in the Venice lagoon are increasingly subject to the phenomenon of high water.

Among the factors that cause high water in Venice there is the slow but inexorable phenomenon of the subsidence of the soil in the lagoon, the gradual generalized rise of marine waters throughout the planet, the gravitational tides and the temporary rise in the level of areas of the northern Adriatic when winds blow from southern quadrants.

In Venice and in the inhabited centers in the lagoon, over time the periods of normality could be reduced and, according to experts, periods of high water could occur more frequently in the Venice lagoon, with even greater heights than the current ones.

The destiny of Venice will be to have protective dams that protect it in the periods in which the high water in Venice will rise to levels for which, without protection, the normal condition would cease; meaning that large areas of the lagoon would be flooded, navigation and mobility would be severely limited or impeded and homes, buildings and monuments of all kinds would be invaded by water.

In a total calendar year, the time in which the dams will remain closed could increase.

Due to the overall decrease in water flows in the lagoon's emissaries in the direction from the sea to the lagoon and vice versa, the water exchange of the lagoon water may therefore significantly decrease.

The insufficient water exchange could seriously compromise the delicate balance of the lagoon ecosystem . In Venice and in the other inhabited areas of the lagoon, the general conditions of hygiene and health could worsen.

The patented system for the exchange of water in the lagoon, in the periods in which the dams remain uninterruptedly closed even for several consecutive days, daily sends water from the sea to the lagoon and vice versa.

These alternating water flows are almost naturally in phase with and synchronous with the tides in the open sea, in the sense that the time intervals of growth and regression of the flows have the same duration as those of the corresponding water flows, produced by the tides in the sea, which would pass through the inlets, if the closed barriers did not prevent them.

The Venice lagoon is a very particular environment, it is above all a living lagoon, in the sense that the sea water enters and exits daily and in it the brackish character of the water is prevalent; there are urban settlements, industrial settlements, important industrial, mercantile, port and above all tourist activities take place there.

The environmental issues in a broad sense concerning the lagoon and Venice are many and complex. A serious danger is that the issues are faced in a simplistic way, considering and acting with respect to a limited part of the problems, considered more urgent than others.

Over the centuries, it has already happened that, when provided for a particular phenomenon, it was realized that the measure adopted produced unwanted effects and this happened not due to negligence or inexperience but fundamentally due to the delicacy and complexity of the lagoon environment.

Venice and the lagoon not only need to be protected from large water and to have an adequate water exchange. Another issue, but not the only one, which must be considered and addressed, is the erosion of banks and foundations and the deposition of sediments in streams, canals and more generally in the entire lagoon.

Overall, the level regulation system and that of the water change in the lagoon are gradually adjustable, so that they are effective and at the same time respect the delicate ecological balance of the lagoon.

The entire hydraulic system is powered entirely and exclusively by renewable energy produced by the tides in the open sea.

It is a sturdy, reliable system with a modest environmental impact, it reciprocates huge quantities of water.

It is located in the lagoon or on land facing the lagoon, its connections with the open sea are limited, not visible and do not hinder navigation in any way.

It has modest construction costs, especially if considered in relation to the benefits produced and also requires limited maintenance.