View source for Maggia (river)

{{Short description|River in Switzerland}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Maggia Delta 2014 Air.jpg|thumb|left|The Maggia delta with Ascona and Locarno (located on the northern part of the delta, above the river), seen from south]]
{{Infobox river
| name              = Maggia
| image             = Maggia01.jpg
| image_caption     = Maggia, about 1 kilometer from the village Maggia
| source1_location  =
| mouth             = [[Lake Maggiore]]
| mouth_location    = 
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|46|09|11|N|8|48|12|E|region:CH-TI_type:river_source:dewiki|display=it}}
| progression       = {{RLake Maggiore}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[Switzerland]]
| length            = 
| source1_elevation =
| discharge1_avg    =
| basin_size        =
| tributaries_left  = 
| tributaries_right = [[Melezzo Orientale]]
}}
The '''Maggia''' is a [[river]] in the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Ticino]], with a length of 56 kilometers. It derives its name from the village [[Maggia (municipality)|Maggia]], situated on the river.

The springs are near the [[Cristallina]] mountain at 8136&nbsp;ft (2480 m). The river runs through the [[Val Sambuco]], the [[Val Lavizzara]], and the [[Valle Maggia]], and empties into [[Lago Maggiore]] between [[Ascona]] and [[Locarno]].

The river is used for [[hydroelectric power]] production, e.g. with the dams of [[Lago del Narèt]] and [[Lago del Sambuco]] near the sources.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vallemaggia {{!}} Ascona-Locarno|url=https://www.ascona-locarno.com/en/explore/vallemaggia|access-date=2021-09-12|website=www.ascona-locarno.com|language=en}}</ref>

The Maggia river is a popular [[Scuba dive|scuba diving]] spot due to its crystal clear waters.

In the 1990s the river had a European record: the river that grew fastest during rains. This characteristic led to many tragedies in the past. One involved the collapse of a bridge connecting the old Maggia to Aurigeno and Moghegno which killed many people in the 1970s.

== Geography ==
The Maggia's main [[Tributary|tributaries]] include the torrents [[Bavona (river)|Bavona]] and [[Rovana (river)|Rovana]], as well as the [[Melezza (river)|Melezza]] river. The Maggia is one of the most [[Torrent (stream)|torrential]] watercourses in [[Europe]] and experiences sudden and significant variations in water flow. While the river is not [[Channel (geography)|channelized]], numerous sections have been developed through work carried out by a [[consortium]] from 1891 to 1930.<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|008773|Daniela Pauli Falconi}}</ref>

== Flooding ==
The Maggia has experienced repeated [[Flood|flooding]] throughout its history, which was formerly exacerbated by the intensive practice of [[Log driving|timber floating]]. The most catastrophic floods occurred in [[Cevio]] in 1648, killing 52 people, and in 1868, which resulted in 41 deaths.<ref name="HDS" />

A stone bridge constructed between [[Losone]] and [[Solduno]] in 1815-1816 was half-destroyed by flooding and subsequently restored in 1887. The 1951 flood caused the collapse of the iron bridge at [[Ponte Brolla]], while the 1978 flood caused significant material damage throughout the region.<ref name="HDS" />

== Hydroelectric development ==
In 1949, the [[canton of Ticino]] and six Swiss German-speaking companies united to form the hydroelectric plants company ''Officine idroelettriche della Maggia SA (Ofima)''. The same year, the company obtained a concession for exploiting the river's hydraulic forces, with the concession set to expire in 2035 for part of the watercourse and in 2048 for the remainder.<ref name="HDS" />

==See also==
* [[List of rivers of Switzerland]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ofima.ch Ofima] {{in lang|de|it}} electricity producer

{{Lago Maggiore| state = collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Ticino]]
[[Category:Rivers of Switzerland]]


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