The EPM model as a tool for analyzing the impact of dams on sediment production

The implementation of the EPM model on a time scale aims to reconstruct the production of sediment in a specific time range. The results will be compared with the evolution of the correlated physiographic unit and over the same time period. The sediment production rates analysis shows an increase in production between 1990 and 2018. The trend is in contrast with the evolution of the shoreline, in fact, the coastal physiographic unit is affected, in various sections, by a progressive and constant retreat. A possible cause could be related to dams construction along the Ofanto River. For each dam have been identified: (i) the starting year of commissioning, (ii) the area of the basin involved and (iii) an estimate of the potential impact on the production of sediment. The start-up of the San Pietro dam at the end of the 1950s and the Locone and Conza dams at the beginning of the 1990s are matched by a strong increase in the erosion process along the entire physiographic unit. The results of the study show that the use of the plug-in YES allows to map the areas of greatest impact on the production of sediment and to estimate the volume, providing important information in feasibility studies and dam management. In addition, the plug-in YES and its implementations also find potential in the implementation of VIA studies (environmental impact assessment) for the ability to assess the actual impact of the dam on the environment.