The Spöl or Aqua Granda is an Italian and Swiss river and is a tributary of the

Inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

. The source of the river is near Corno di Campo in the

Province of Sondrio The Province of Sondrio ( it, provincia di Sondrio) is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403. History The Province was established in 1815, within ...

in Italy. It flows northeast past Livigno and into

Lago di Livigno Lago di Livigno or Lago del Gallo is a reservoir in the Livigno valley. The reservoir is mostly in Italy whereas the Punt dal Gall arch dam An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the ...

. It exits the lake at the Italian/Swiss border and flows northwest through Parc Naziunal Svizzer before emptying into the Inn near

Zernez Zernez is a village and a municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Lavin and Susch merged into the municipality of Zernez. Zernez is a major node ...

. Despite rising in Italy, the river is a tributary of the Inn, and the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

, rather than of the Po. In other words, its valley is on the northern side of the

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

. In this area geographical and political boundaries do not coincide. Due to an international treaty, an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

, Lago di Livigno, was created by Engadiner Kraftwerke in the 1960s, with a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

on the border. Despite indemnisation, not all inhabitants were willing to leave this part of the valley. The

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

has a capacity of . Its minimum and maximum water levels above sea level are at and respectively. Since its construction, this lake had been off-limits for any activity, such as

wind-surfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

, until the summer of 2005, when Italy's National Rowing team was authorized to train on the lake. The same international treaty allowed another electricity company to catch the waters of Aqua Granda and other tributaries above a certain elevation and to transport it through a tunnel to the

artificial lakes A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

of Cancano, in

Val Fraele Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...

, on the other side of the watershed. This has decreased the water level on the river dramatically, with some parts of it left without water, causing strong but ineffective protests by the local population. Nowadays this river is popular for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, virtually the only other use which can be made of it.

References

External links

Livigno City Council

Livigno Tourist Office
Rivers of Italy Rivers of Lombardy Rivers of the Province of Sondrio Rivers of Switzerland International rivers of Europe Rivers of Graubünden Zernez {{switzerland-river-stub