Bacciana Reservoir

Bacciana Reservoir (Réservoir de Bacciana, Retenue de Bacciana) is a reservoir in the Haute-Corse department of France, on the island of Corsica. It supplies water for drinking and irrigation.

Dam
The Bacciana Reservoir is in the commune of Aléria in the eastern coastal plain of Corsica. It is north of the Teppe Rosse Reservoir and northeast of the Tagnone river. The dam is semi-circular, extending round the east of the reservoir. The earthfill dam came into service in 2002. It is 15 m high and 890 m long, with a crest elevation of 54 m. It retains 2350000 m3 of water. The reservoir covers 37 ha. Its watershed covers 1.14 km2.

Operations
The dam is managed by the Office d’Équipement Hydraulique de Corse. A dam on the Fium'Orbu just downstream from the Sampolo hydroelectric complex creates the Trévadine Reservoir and allows filling the reservoirs in the plain, the Bacciana, the 4300000 m3 Teppe Rosse Reservoir and the 5500000 m3 Alzitone Reservoir. The reservoirs in turn deliver water using gravity.

In winter an outlet in the Trévadine Reservoir supplies an 800 mm above-ground steel pipe that runs for a distance of 7.5 km to the reservoirs of Alzitone, Teppe Rosse and Bacciana. It is able to carry about 0.9 m3 per second. Downstream a network of distribution pipes carries water to users in the municipalities of Prunelli-di-Fiumorbo, Serra-di-Fiumorbo, Ventiseri and Solaro.

About 900 L/s of water is taken from the Fium'Orbu in winter with occasional peaks of as much as 1200 L/s. In summer the Fium'Orbu continue to supply 250 to 400 L/s to the reservoirs, but delivery of water to users requires operation of pumping stations.

Ecology
The reservoir has low biological significance. Flora include sedges (Carex species), yellow fleabane (Dittrichia viscosa), water knotweed (Persicaria amphibia), common reed (Phragmites australis), black poplar (Populus nigra), roses (Rubus species), lakeshore bulrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris), rough bindweed (Smilax aspera) and broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia). Birds include red kite (Milvus milvus), European bee-eater (Merops apiaster), Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), carrion crow (Corvus corone), grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus). Amphibians include the pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae bergeri).

Fishing is allowed in the western half of the reservoir. It is limited to angling or casting from the shore, fishing from a flat-bottomed boat (oar, scull or pedal), and float tube fishing under some conditions.