The Po River is located in Italy. The river flows from the Cottain Alps through many cities and empties into the Adriatic Sea. Although the Po is a very beautiful river it threatens many cities because of its spring and fall floods. The flood water tears away ranks and bridges and destroys fields and towns. To help control the flood waters they build dams. Two good things about these dams where that the slowed water flow and the created hydroelectric energy. To travel by boat on the Po you had to be very skilled.
The river has many hazards such as low water, floods, whirlpools, and sand banks. The Po’s water is fed by 141 tributaries draining a catchment basin of 27, 000 square miles, created the Val Padana, the plain that stretches across northern Italy from the French border on the west and the Adriatic Sea on the east. The Po is the countries longest river at 405 long and 1650 feet across at the widest point. Almost 16 million people live along the Po, that’s nearly 1/3 of all Italians.
Many things are grown along this river such as rice, corn, and wheat. The river has places called fish valley that have pockets of fish like sea bass. Many boats go out and search for clams in the soil of the riverbed. In Barolo the river basin is thick with industry. There are hundreds of small businesses and production, from paint to leather garments, luxury chocolates to the famous Borsajro hats. During floods farmers would allow there fields to over flow to save entire cities. The river flows where it wants to.
It’s very hard to stop it. Cities also have by pass canals. When the river floods they open the gates of the bypass canal. Once the gates are opened the water flows around the city. This saves the city and everyone in it from the flood waters. The Po is a very beautiful river. The weather on the Po is very nice so many tourists are attracted to that area. There are many big cities along the Po such as Turin, Vercelli, Milan, Pavia, Piacenza, Cremona, Boretto, Casalmaggae, Mantova, Polesella, Ferrara, Poto Viro, and Gorino Sullam.
Spreading between the Alps and Apennines the Po basin covers a quarter of Italy. The rivers early name was Bodincus. Bodincus means bottomless. The river is huge. It stretches nearly 405 miles from source to sea. The land around the Po is very valuable. It is priced at $10, 000 an acre. Many things are grown on the Po, but one of the most valuable is fish. The river has a place called fish valley. It has lots of sea bass.