Preliminary assessment on flood mitigation potential via manage aquifer recharge in the Brenta Megafan (Italy)

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) design and operation must incorporate the expected long-term performance from a water quantity perspective to sustainably mitigate hydrologic impacts of groundwater overexploitation. Gravity driven infiltration ditches are one of many MAR schemes that could augment the available water resources. In the present study, an infiltration system (IS) consisting of 8 ditches was monitored to determine its hydrologic performance over time and its possible export to similar areas of the Brenta Megafan (Northern Italy). The IS displayed an almost constant capacity to infiltrate the diverted water with a total amount of 0.8 Mm3/ha/y. The good results suggest to promote this technique in other areas that suffer from groundwater resources depletion.