Pilots

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  Grande Sassière

  Situated on the French-Italian border, the Grande Sassière Nature Reserve occupies a vast Alpine cirque at an altitude of between 1,800 and 3,750 metres. These different levels and exposures give rise to a variety of environments: rocky at higher altitudes, grasslands and meadows further down, and the very rare low marshes left over from the last ice ages. The latter are particularly closely monitored for their rare arctic-alpine flora. The whole of the reserve is part of the Vanoise National Park meaning activities are regulated, although this does not prevent the site from attracting many tourists and a herd of around sixty cows. Some of the water in this catchment area comes from two glaciers, which feed a dammed lake further down the valley, used as a water reserve for hydroelectric power generation. A water intake at altitude supplies the municipality and the ski resort of Tignes downstream.

  Main challenges Biodiversity, hydropower, drinking water supply of major ski resort Monitored variables Streamflow data, piezometric data, local climate data, detailled maps of stream/wetland network, detailled geological map, water geochemical data, soil map, vegetation map,  cryopshere, stream conductivity temperature, gormophology/connectivity stream network

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  Val d'Ursé (Deployment site)

  The Val d'Ursé catchment, part of the Val Poschiavo Valley, is located in the Bernina range in Canton Grisons, South-East Switzerland. This region, nestled within the high alpine environment, is characterized by temperate Alpine climate. The hydrology of the catchment is shaped by both seasonal precipitation and the dynamics of snowpack melt, which recharge the aquifer systems. The catchment’s stream baseflow is sustained by a highly capacitive groundwater system, primarily hosted within quaternary deposits such as talus moraine and debris, but also through a deeper fractured bedrock aquifer. Snowmelt serves as the principal source of recharge for these aquifers. Permafrost presence and rock glaciers further influence the recharge dynamics, controlling seasonal flow variations. The local hydrology is highly sensitive to climate change, which poses significant challenges to the pristine biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems typical of high alpine settings. In addition to its environmental importance, the catchment supports pastoral activities, mainly involving sheeps and donkeys. The Ursé stream supplies water to the Poschiavino river, on whose banks the town of Poschiavo lies. It further feeds the Adda and the Po river, providing critical transnational socio-economic benefits. One of the unique specificity of the Alp-Canfinal catchment is the presence of deep boreholes that provide valuable insights into deep groundwater recharge and discharge processes. These boreholes, part of a larger monitoring network established for the Lago Bianco pump storage project, are equipped with pressure and temperature sensors at various depths. For instance, time series data from borehole KB4, measured at depths of 125 and 145 meters, reveal significant hydraulic head variations, with up to 40 meters of head change between baseflow and snowmelt peaks. This information is essential for calibrating hydrological models that will help the team of Waterwise predict the future evolution of the catchment in response to climate change.

  Main challenges faced by the site

  Biodiversity, hydropower, agriculture, drinking water supply, tourism (alpine huts), ski resort nearby

  Monitored variables

  Streamflow data, piezometric data, local climate data, detailled maps of stream/wetland network, detailled geological map, water geochemical data, soil map, vegetation map,  cryopshere, stream conductivity temperature, gormophology/connectivity stream network

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  Contamines Montjoie

  At the southern end of the Mont Blanc Massif, and partly forming the border between France and Italy, the Contamines-Montjoie National Nature Reserve stretches from 1100 to 3800 metres above sea level. With these different levels comes a variety of environments as well as wetlands. The watercourses are fed mainly by melting snow and retreating glaciers and have a glacial regime (maximum flow in summer). The glaciers and wetlands are identified in the objective document as the sectors most threatened by human activity and climate variations, which could ultimately alter the flow of the rivers. The lakes, one of which (Grand lac Jovet) is monitored as part of the national Lac Sentinelles programme, are threatened by tourist numbers, which is why bathing has been banned last summer. At the same time, tourist facilities (toilets) and atmospheric pollution (via precipitation) can affect water quality.  A subglacial water intake, which has already been rebuilt following the retreat of the glacier, supplies water via pipes to a reservoir outside the perimeter of the reserve. Main challenges Biodiversity, hydropower, agriculture, drinking water supply, tourism (alpine huts), ski resort nearby Monitored variables streamflow data, piezometric data, local climate data, detailled maps of stream/wetland network, detailled geological map, water geochemical data, soil map, vegetation map,  cryopshere, stream conductivity temperature, gormophology/connectivity stream network

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  SI-AT transboundary drinking water aquifer at Mt. Peca/Petzen

  Transboundary  groundwater body Karavanke/Karawanken is the only of such kind between Austria and Slovenia. Mountain peaks are covered by forest, pastures and bare rocks. Well permeable carbonate rocks provide important drinking water resources to both countries, also to inhabitants of the UNESCO Global Geopark Karavanke/Karawanken. The Peca Mt. is the easternmost of five delineated transboundary karstic aquifers with its highest point reaching 2125 m. The Wetterstein limestone at Mt. Peca was mined for lead and zinc at two mines, Peca and Topla, which now supply drinking water and hydropower to neighbouring towns. The mountain is surrounded by River Meža and  tribuntaries of River Drava. Average precipitation sums to almost 1500 mm/year. Snowcover is rapidly diminishing  and change in recharge is expected to affect also captured carstic springs. Extreme events, such as wind storms and severe floods are becoming abundant and significantly affect the quality of life and ecosystems in the region. Main challenges Drinking water supply in 2 countries, tourism in UNESCO Geopark Karavanke/Karawanken, hydro power plant from dewatering of the Peca Mine, extreme events (extreme floods in august 2023), geohazard mitigation (landslides), biodiversity protection Monitored variables Streamflow data, piezometric data, local climate data, detailled maps of stream/wetland network, detailled geological map, water geochemical data, soil map, vegetation map,  cryopshere, stream conductivity temperature, gormophology/connectivity stream network