Bedload transport and dune bedforms characteristics in sand-bed rivers supplying a retreating beach of the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy)

The coast of the Emilia-Romagna Region in northern Italy consists about 210 km sandy beaches that have been attracting tourists for decades. Since 1980s, erosion processes resulted a remarkable beach retreat, notwithstanding construction several protections works. In 2005–2006 and 2017–2020, 30 floods two small rivers feeding Ravenna, Fiumi Uniti Savio, were monitored bedload was measured with Helly-Smith sampler. Riverbed bathymetric surveys carried out after some selected to investigate occurrence geometry alluvial bedforms. dune migration method also used calculate bedload. Results provided by this are very encouraging. To authors knowledge, field investigation on transport coastal is first one kind Adriatic provides regional land managers useful tool predict yield future scientifically based interventions, hopefully successful, protection data indicate higher variability discharges lower than bankfull flow, whereas stronger control discharge evident larger floods. Though study proved be largest river Region, it rather low witnesses sediment supply-limited conditions.