The Gussola oxbow lake in Cremona Province underwent a requalification intervention during the early phase of the REWET project (March 2023), which involved reconnecting the oxbow lake to the Po River. Before the intervention, the oxbow lake was largely disconnected from the Po River due to navigation groins, leading to water scarcity, stagnation, and hypoxia. The requalification intervention included lowering a navigation groin, which is expected to help mitigate further incision processes by distributing the transport capacity between the main course of the Po River and the oxbow lake.

One of the goals of the REWET project is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by analyzing and identifying the best restoration strategies to maximize carbon storage capacity while minimizing GHG emissions from wetlands, considering their role in climate mitigation.

This video shows the Po River flowing into the oxbow lake during a flood in May 2023.

The influx of oxygen- and nutrient-rich water into the oxbow lake, which for most of the time is characterized by stagnant, oxygen-poor, and nutrient-deficient water, has a positive impact both on GHG emissions and biodiversity. Indeed, by using LI-COR portable gas analyzers, we are measuring a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the oxbow lake during periods when it is connected to the Po River. This demonstrates that the river restoration intervention effectively reduces the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.