Abatesco

The Abatesco (Corsican: Abatescu) is a French coastal river which flows through the Haute-Corse department and empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Abatesco
The Abatesco under the RT 10 bridge between Ghisonaccia and Sari-Solenzara, a small distance above its mouth
Abatesco is located in Corsica
Abatesco
Native nameAbatescu (Corsican)
Location
CountryFrance
RegionCorsica
DepartmentHaute-Corse
ArrondissementCorte
Physical characteristics
Source200 metres (660 ft) south of Monte Formicola
  locationSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
  coordinates41°56′22″N 9°13′11″E
  elevation1,700 metres (5,600 ft)
MouthTyrrhenian Sea
  location
Serra-di-Fiumorbo
  coordinates
41°58′29″N 9°25′37″E
Length24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi)
Basin size111 square kilometres (43 sq mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
  leftBuja, Macini
  rightBiaccino, Aglia

Geography

The watercourse is 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi) long.[1]

The Abatesco originates 200 metres (660 ft) south of the summit of Monte Formicola, which is 1,981 metres (6,499 ft) high, at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) in the commune of San-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo.[2][3]

The source is very close to the famous GR20 hiking trail. The upper section is called the Tassi torrent. It only takes the name of Abatesco about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from its source.[4]

It first flows from southwest to northeast, then generally flows from west to east. It flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the commune of Serra-di-Fiumorbo.[2]

Neighboring coastal rivers are the Fiumorbo to the north and the Travo to the south.

Watershed municipalities and cantons

In the Haute-Corse department alone, the Abatesco drains four communes[1] within one canton:

On almost all of its route, it serves as a boundary for the communes it runs along: Serra-di-Fiumorbo on its right bank, San-Gavino, then Isolaccio and finally Prunelli on its left bank.

Watershed

The surface of the Abatesco watershed is estimated as 111 square kilometres (43 sq mi) by Sandre,[1] and as 89 square kilometres (34 sq mi) by a study published in the French Bulletin of Fishing and Fish Farming.[5]

Managing body

The managing body since passage of the Corsican law of 22 January 2002 has been the Corsican Basin Committee (Comité de bassin de Corse).[6]

Tributaries

The Abatesco at Pietrapola

The Abastesco has nineteen referenced tributaries:[1]

TributaryUpper partL/RLengthCommune(s)
Benacciolaleft1.2 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo and Serra-di-Fiumorbo
Fiumicettileft1.7 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo and Serra-di-Fiumorbo
Vanga[lower-alpha 1] d'Anioliright1.1 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
Cupinleft1.8 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Carenaright1.8 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
MainiCardiccialeft4.1 km[8]San-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
←Laparoleft1.8 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Furoneright1.4 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
Corbavodoleft0.9 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Zevaneright1 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
Tualuleft1.3 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Piero Biancajoleft1.4 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
BujaTrefontane[2]
Trejontane
left4.9 km[9]Isolaccio-di-Fiumorbo, San-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Includes the Bughjia waterfalls, renowned canyoning site[10]
← Arena Biancaright3.2 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Source at the Punta di Campolongo (1,695 m) close to the GR20
←← Arialeft2.1 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Source less than 200 meters from the GR20
← Pulitrelloleft1.4 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
← Codolaleft3 kmIsolaccio-di-Fiumorbo, San-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
← Foirinaccialeft1.7 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo
Sersaleft1.5 kmSan-Gavino-di-Fiumorbo, Isolaccio-di-Fiumorbo
Tribbaldoleft2.4 kmIsolaccio-di-Fiumorbo
waters the village of Pietrapola with the only approved spa in Corsica.[11][12]
Saparettoleft2.4 kmIsolaccio-di-Fiumorbo
Vergajololeft2 kmPrunelli-di-Fiumorbo
Varciaponeleft1.3 kmPrunelli-di-Fiumorbo
Forcinaleft0.7 kmPrunelli-di-Fiumorbo
BiaccinoSambuchelliright8.7 km[13]Ventiseri, Serra-di-Fiumorbo
← Anzagara'left4 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
←← Minagoliright1.4 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
←←← Juvaleft1.8 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
Sindoliright1.4 kmSerra-di-Fiumorbo
Carpinicciaright2.1 km
AgliaAcquaniellaright8.8 km[14]Serra-di-Fiumorbo.

Strahler number

The Strahler number of the Abatesco river is five from the Biaccino, Anzagara, Minagoli and Juva tributaries.

Human presence

The FORTEF tower in Migliacciaro

In the valley, in the places called Abbazia, Agnatello, Calzarello and Catastajo, a whole wood industry was born and prospered, run by the FORTEF company (Forêts - Terres et Forces du Fiumorbo). It extracted 6,000 cubic metres (210,000 cu ft) of sawed timber and employed 800 people in 1935, with 4,200 hectares (10,000 acres) of forests and 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of cultivable land. It fell into disuse in the nineteenth century.[15] In particular, at the height of 69 metres (226 ft) on the Abatesco, a dam was built and hydroelectric plants (horizontal Pelton type or Francis type turbines[16]) at the place called Agnatello, supplied the timber industry which also existed at less than a kilometer, at a place called Abbazia at altitudes of 54 to 38 metres (177 to 125 ft). In these same places, Corsican railways built a large railway bridge.[17]

By the sea, less than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), and at an altitude of 9 metres (30 ft) the RT 10 (formerly RN 198) passes over the Abatesco. The old Roman road crossed about 500 metres (1,600 ft) further north-west of this bridge, near the place called Chiarata.

On the river's course there are the Moulin de Branca and the Moulin de Biaccino, while the Moulin de Rizzale is on the Biaccino stream.

Ecology

The river and its tributaries are populated with trout.[5] A devastating flood for the fish population occurred in September 1989.

The mouth of the river has been classified as a Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique (ZNIEFF) since 1985 covering 162 hectares (400 acres), which includes the Canna marshes and the Gradugine pond to the north, and the Palo pond to the south.[18]

Notes

  1. Vanga means "spade" in Corsican[7]

Citations

  1. Cours d'eau - L'Abatesco.
  2. geoportail.
  3. Faivre 2004.
  4. Carte au 1/25000 n°4253ET
  5. Beaudo et al. 1995, p. 261.
  6. Le Comité de bassin de Corse.
  7. Alata, Mairie d', la hameau de San Benedetto, retrieved 17 April 2011
  8. Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - Ruisseau de Macini (Y9501100)". Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  9. Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - Ruisseau de Buja (Y9500520)". Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  10. "Cascades de Bughjia - San Gavino di Fiumorbo (Corse)", Descente-Canyon.com le portail francophone de descente de canyon (in French), retrieved 17 April 2011
  11. "Pietrapola Les bains", site pietrapola les bains 20243 Isolaccio-di-Fiumorbu, Cyber3c, 2002, archived from the original on 14 April 2011, retrieved 17 April 2011
  12. "Abatesco", site Roger Brunet géographe, retrieved 17 April 2011
  13. Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - Ruisseau de Biaccino (Y9500540)". Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  14. Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - Ruisseau d'Aglia (Y9500560)". Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  15. "Corse ; Haute-Corse ; Prunelli-di-Fiumorbo", base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, retrieved 21 June 2009
  16. site personnel, Centrale hydrolélectrique de la FORTEF (1925-1950), retrieved 21 June 2009
  17. site personnel, Tracé du chemin de fer oriental, retrieved 5 August 2017
  18. ZNIEFF 940004090, "Embouchures et zones humides du Fium'orbu et de l'Abatesco", sur le site de l'INPN

Sources

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