The transformation of alluvial marshes since 1800 to today
In 1800 the Manfredonia plain to the mouth of the Ofanto river was characterised by estensive marshes formed by the water of the torrents which come from the Dauno Sub-Appennines, the Gargano and springs. Due to a lack of slope near to the mouth of the Ofanto, these watercourses caused extensive flooding and in some cases, situations similar to small deltas.
The economic activities that were carried out in these areas were the pasture of buffalo and horses, fishing, hunting and the collection of various natural products such as reeds, wild herbs for food, frogs, snails and other molluscs.
The reclamation which began at the end of 1800 and above all from the 1930s onwards carried out by the Capitanata Reclamation Consortium brought about structural changes to all of the Capitanata wetlands.
The Manfredonia wetlands were the last to be reclaimed. Before the regimentation and reclamation works the territory was crossed with the final tracts of the Candelaro, Cervaro and Carapelle torrents which led to the marshes (that is, depressions on the flat areas of the Tableland where more or less perennial springs surface) to then contribute to the formation of coastal lakes such as the Contessa Lake, the Pantano Salso, the Verzentino Lake and the Siponto Pantano which were contiguous and thought to cover an area (including winter flooding) of at least 30.000 hectares.
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In around 1813 the age of Capitanata reclamation began, first with the French decade and then continued under the Borbonic government until being completed in the period following the second World War.
The works carried out aimed at filling in the marsh areas surrounding the Salso Lake with river sediments and the development of artificial basins linked to canalisation works which have, however, disappeared due to a lack of maintenance.
The new Lago Salso is born
Around the middle of the 1950s, following the completion of the reclamation works, an embanked area of around 541 hectares emerged was created which receives water mainly from the Roncone canal which is directly linked to the Cervaro torrent. The Candelaro torrent to the west divides the area from the Frattarolo marsh, a wetland which is decidely more brackish and only periodically flooded.
This marsh, along with the reclaimed neighbouring areas belonging to the City of Manfredonia, was leased to private users with a 29 year contract.
The wetland had two functions:
Water reservoir for irrigation;
Hunting and fishfarming reserve.
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In 1959, the lease-holders, embanked the wetland to create the current three valli (a valle is an artificial basin used for fishfarming),Valle Alta, Valle di Mezzo and Salso Lake, which are of different depths: usually under a metre according to the season and management needs in the first two pools; between 50 and 150/170 cm in the Salso Lake.
Successively, management was taken over by a company called 'Daunia Risi', which managed the wetland for hunting from 1981, having obtained recognition as a Fauna-Hunting Company in accordance with the regional law on hunting (L.968/77).
The remaining agricultural area was farmed and for a while, growing rice was also attempted (hence the name of the company).
Daunia Risi was, moreover, one of the first hunting Reserves to draw up an agreement with an environmental organisation for the conservation of the Wild Goose Anser anser, an agreement which did not produce any results from the conservation point of view but instead created new alibis for the managing body.
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Hunting management was carried out until December 1992 when the perimeter of the Gargano National Park was decreed.
In fact since January 1993, in the’ex Daunia Risi', the current Salso Lake Oasis , hunting activities are no longer permitted as it is now an integral part of the Park divided into two zones (1 and 2) with different protection levels.
The area is currently management by a public-private company composed of the City of Manfredonia and the Park Management body, called the “Salso Lake Oasis”.
In addition to being included in the perimeter of the Gargano National Park, the Salso Lake Oasis is also part of a wider area (Site of Community Importance - SCI e Special Protection Area - SPA) which is fundamental from the naturalistic point of view according to European legislation.
It therefore forms an important piece of a district of wetlands and extensive agricultural terrain, with an overall natural-environmental value of exceptional importance.
Since the ban on hunting, over the years and still today, numerous activities aimed at the conservation of the most threatened animal species present in Puglia are being carried out, through the initiation of projects financed by the European Union (LIFE) and the Puglia Regional Authority (the Regional Operative Programme Funds - POR).
