LAGOON AND TIDES IN VENICE

LAGOON AND TIDES IN VENICE


The picturesque city Venice, on the Venetian lagoon is world famous for its unique location and has reputed as one of the most romantic destination in the world. Venice city stretches across numerous small islands in the marshy Venetian lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along shoreline between the mouths of the PO (south and north rivers).
Lagoons are the relatively shallow area, which are separated from sea by coral reefs, sand bars or Barrier Island. The interaction of Adriatic tidal currents and waters of several Alpine rivers such as Piave, Sile, Bacchiglione and Brenta originally formed these lagoons in Venice. Usually the water in these lagoons is quite with access to the sea but sometime it may also be prove crucial to the survival of Venice. During winter month, when global warming is there it causes the normal level of sea to rise that could cause flood in most of the city. Venetians have named it as “Aqua Alta “meaning high water. When high tides combine with storm winds from the south and east, the water in the lagoon rise and cause flood the city.

Settlement in lagoon reminds the Roman times. In the early 7th century, the migrants from mainland swelled on the higher mud flats and sandbanks. Later Venice was built as a port and became the trading centre of western world. The mud banks, shallows & channels were considered to be the good source of income from marine & bird life and from saltpans. Fisherman inhabited this mudflat region as far back as the 1st century but recognition could be gained till 452A.D. Venice’s secluded location within a lagoon is bordered by the islands of Lido and Pellestrina and the sand beaches of Cavallino and Sotto marina. These islands keep the lagoon secluded and Venice protected from the elements of nature.

Venice constitutes various lagoons in its lap in various locations such as Tamiahua Lagoon, a long coastal lagoon in Vera Cruz Estado in Eastern Mexico. Vistula lagoon is a shallow, marsh-fringed lagoon on the Baltic Coast. It is about 56 miles long, 6 to 15 miles wide and 17 feet deep. Mirim lagoon, a shallow Atlantic tidewater lagoon, is at the border of Brazil and Uruguay. It covers an area of about 1,542 square miles. Szczecinski lagoon on the Baltic Sea coast between Mecklenburg-West Pomerania Land and cover an area of about 350 square miles.

These lagoons require to be protected due to threatening the very existence of Venice. The deepening of channels in the 20th century, the geologic sinking of the Po River basin and over extraction of fresh water from the main land aquifers, all had the combined effect to lower down the level of land that has added to the problem of Venice ‘s flood. In the 15th & 16th centuries also the Venetian ministry had took the steps towards the problem and diverted rivers from the lagoon and passed laws to safeguard the urban environment. Still today the lagoon requires a careful husbandry for the safe existence of Venice.