Orco Explained

Orco
Mouth Location:Po at Chivasso
Mouth Coordinates:45.1833°N 7.875°W
Subdivision Type1:Country
Length:89.568km (55.655miles)[1]
Source1 Elevation:about 2600m (8,500feet)
Discharge1 Avg:23.9m3/s[2]
Basin Size:889.4km2
Tributaries Left:Piantonetto, Eugio, Ribordone, Soana, Piova, Malesina
Tributaries Right:Gallenca
Map:Orco (rivière).png

The Orco (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 90km (60miles) 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 six major dams (Agnel, Serrù, Ceresole Reale, Teleccio, Piantonetto, Valsoera), many smaller reservoirs and numerous turbines and power stations.

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]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Autorità di bacino del fiume Po . 2015-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090514010413/http://www.adbpo.it/on-line/ADBPO/Home/SistemaInformativoTerritoriale/AccessoalleareewebGISatlantedeipianistrumentidimonitoraggio.html . 2009-05-14 . dead .
  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 Web site: Archived copy . 2012-06-10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225054359/http://www.regione.piemonte.it/acqua/pianoditutela/allegati_tec/dwd/1/c/1_c-7.pdf . 2012-02-25 .)
  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)