Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) is a leading institution in research, technology transfer, and education, which was founded in 1874 in San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy. It supports local and regional authorities in agrifood, forestry and environment fields, through its state-of-the-art research, administrative and communication infrastructures. As EUSALP AG6 member, FEM contributed in launching the EUSALP Cross-Cutting Priority “Promoting a joint water management transition” (CCP3) and establishing the Task Force which is coordinating the CCP3 activities.
FEM is the Waterwise ERDF-LP. It will contribute to the project by identifying essential headwaters quality data and will monitor the “Rio Sadole” testing site, where FEM will guide the toolbox testing in tight collaboration with the Municipality Ziano di Fiemme, the Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme and the local stakeholders to promote the sustainable management of local water resources. Together with Legambiente Piemonte and Val d’Aosta, FEM will also organize workshops and public events on local to transnational governance to co-design innovative solutions for increasing the resilience of water resources in Alpine areas.
The Sadole Valley is located in the central Italian Alps (Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy) and provides one of tributaries of the River Avisio in the Fiemme Valley. The head of the valley is occupied by the Sadole rock-glacier, located along the northern slope of Monte Cauriol (2493 m), at altitudes between 2090 m a.s.l. at its summit and 1820 m at its front. The rock glacier is a complex landform, which has been generated by the confluence of three different rock glaciers and has been classified as ‘relict’ based on its low elevation, and the partial vegetation coverage of the front and body with tall vegetation. However, the low water temperature of the spring Maseron emerging from the rock glacier front and recent geophysical investigations suggested ice and permafrost conditions as preserved.
The Maseron spring is used for hydroelectric and drinking purposes by the Municipality of Ziano di Fiemme, and for the latter reason, the spring falls within a hydrogeological protection area.
