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Assessing Environmental Flow for Small Hydropower Plant Case of Catchments with Similar Size

Elena Carcano

The paper aims to discuss how the formula for environmental streamflow estimation (EF), (Magra Formula) mostly based upon topographical data such as catchment’s size and overall slope besides river’s major length, should be used carefully in order prevent streamflow hydrological peculiarities fade away.

Analysis is referred to a real case, namely a restoration of a small hydropower plant located in North Western Italy, in the town of Pogli di Ortovero.

The formula is applied to the case under debate and to a catchment of similar size emphasizing how a detail insight of catchment’s behavior and hydrological and biological features are encouraged so that environmental flow assessment becomes definitely more real.