Orco

Orco

The Orco near Rivarolo Canavese

Orco location within northern Italy
Country Italy
Basin features
Main source Gran Paradiso
about 2,600 m (8,500 ft)
River mouth Po at Chivasso
Basin size 889.4 km2 (343.4 sq mi)[1]
Tributaries
  • Left:
    Piantonetto, Eugio, Ribordone, Soana, Piova, Malesina
  • Right:
    Gallenca
Physical characteristics
Length 89.568 km (55.655 mi)[2]
Discharge
  • Average rate:
    23.9 m3/s (840 cu ft/s)[1]

The Orco (Piedmontese: Eva d'òr, that is lit. Water of gold; Latin: Orgus[3]) is an Italian river. It originates in the Piedmontese slopes of Gran Paradiso and after about 90 kilometres (56 mi) reaches the Po river near Chivasso, in the Metropolitan City of Turin. Its drainage basin is home to the most important complex of hydropower in Piedmont, consisting of five dams: Agnel, Serrù, Ceresole, Piantonetto, Valsoera, and numerous turbines.

The Orco is known also for its gold-bearing sand, extracted already in antiquity. Even today there is a certain activity, on an amateur level, searching for grains of gold.[4]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Caratterizzazione bacini Idrografici (elab.I.c/7) - Allegato tecnico al Piano di Tutela delle Acque, Regione Piemonte, rev. del 1º luglio 2004 (on-line in .pdf on )
  2. ↑ Autorità di bacino del fiume Po
  3. ↑ Naturalis historia liber III - 118, Pliny the Elder, 77 d.C.
  4. ↑ Oro nel fiume Orco a Feletto, www.minieredoro.it (accessdate: 7-6-2012)

See also

Coordinates: 45°10′N 7°52′E / 45.167°N 7.867°E / 45.167; 7.867

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