The Fango ( co, Fangu) is a small coastal river in the department of

Haute-Corse Haute-Corse (; co, Corsica suprana , or ; en, Upper Corsica) is (as of 2022) an administrative department of France, consisting of the northern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged wi ...

, Corsica, France. The Fango Valley was designated a biosphere reserve in 1977. It holds flora and fauna representative of all regions of Corsica from the coast to the highest mountains.

Course

The Fango is long. It crosses the communes of

Galéria Galéria () is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. Geography Climate Galéria has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csa''). The average annual temperature in Galéria ...

and Manso. The watershed of the river covers . It extends from Galéria to the

Paglia Orba The Paglia Orba (pronounced ) is a mountain peak in the Monte Cinto massif in Corsica. It rises to an altitude of , between the valleys of the Golo (in the Niolo) and the Cavicchia (in the Filosorma). Relatively isolated, this peak, notable for ...

and from the Col de Marsolino to the Col de Palmarella. The Fango rises in the commune of Manso to the west of the Capo Tafonatu. Its tributaries drain the ridge line in the

Monte Cinto massif The Monte Cinto massif is one of the main massifs in the island of Corsica, France, taking its name from the highest mountain in Corsica, Monte Cinto. It is the northernmost and highest of the four massifs that form the spine of the island. The ma ...

of which the highest point is the Punta Minuta. In its upper reaches it is called the Ruisseau de Capu di Vetto. It runs in a northwest direction past Monte-Estreino, Barghana, Manso and Tuarelli to enter the Gulf of Caléria just north of the town of Galéria. From Barghiana to the coast the D351 road follows the river.

Valley

The mouth of the river is biologically very rich, with many birds, amphibians and reptiles. The lower valley holds very old oak forests dominated by holm oak (´´

Quercus ilex ''Quercus ilex'', the evergreen oak, holly oak or holm oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the ''Ilex'' section of the genus, with acorns that mature in a single summer. Description An evergreen tr ...

''). The upper valley is steep and rocky, with evergreen forest and

maquis shrubland 220px, Low maquis in Corsica 220px, High ''macchia'' in Sardinia ( , , ) or ( , ; often in Italian; hr, makija; ; ) is a shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs. Maquis is char ...

. Fauna include Corsican

mouflon The mouflon (''Ovis gmelini'') is a wild sheep native to Cyprus, the Caspian Sea, Caspian region from eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. It is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domestic sheep breeds. Taxonomy ''Ovis gmelini'' ...

bearded vulture The bearded vulture (''Gypaetus barbatus''), also known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a very large bird of prey and the only member of the genus ''Gypaetus''. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a separate mi ...

and

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...

. There is a small human population in the valley, numbering 435 in 1990, mainly engaged in animal husbandry and tourism. The Fango Valley was designated a biosphere reserve in 1977, extended and renamed in 1990. In 2020 the reserve was renamed the Falasorma-Dui Sevi Biosphere Reserve. Falasorma is the Corsican language name for the Fango valley, and Dui-Sevi is the region included in the reserve's transition zone.

Hydrology

Measurements of the river flow were taken at the Galéria station from 1976 to 2021. The watershed above this station covers . Annual precipitation was calculated as . The average flow of water throughout the year was .

Tributaries

The following streams (''ruisseaux'') are tributaries of the Fango (ordered by length) and sub-tributaries: * Marsolinu ** Prezzuna *** Culombu *** Rimboli **** Melone **** Fuglietu *** Polgge *** Scala *** Trea *** Cannosa *** Piaggiola ** Finocchie *** Ficaccia ** Querciu * Candela ** Bocca Bianca ***Taïta *** Muntunaghiu *** Sposata *** Terribule *** Valle Nera ** Saltare *** Laoscella ** Valle Serrata * Perticatu ** Anghione * Canne ** Tetti ** Parma * Rocce * Cutalellu * Buliga * Bussiccia * Margine * Capronale ** Campottoli Rossi * Capu Rossu * Acqua Salsa * Valle Sarratra * Forchettaghiu

Notes

Sources