The walk around the swamp of Colfiorito is a very easy excursion and an original pinch. We are in Umbria, on the intermountain plain on the border with Marche, between the Umbrian valley of the Topino river in the municipality of Foligno and the valley of the Chienti river in the province of Macerata. The plateaus are surrounded by mountainous reliefs that culminate in the 1571 meters of Mount Pennino. The protected area of the Park includes the marsh, the Umbrian part of the Colfiorito Plain and the relief of Mount Orve (926 m). The marsh of Colfiorito is just as it is imagined. Stagnant waters reflecting the colours of the sky; vast swampy areas and reed beds; willows and other aquatic plants; wet and muddy areas, periodically flooded; many water birds, ducks, bitterns and shy herons; and the musical column of the monotonous and insistent croaking of frogs.
The Park of Colfiorito is one of the most important natural ecosystems in Umbria. The particularly humid area is located at an altitude of 752 meters, for an area of about 100 hectares. The importance proclaimed at the level of biodiversity is underlined by the decision to include its Swamp, it was in 1976, in the list of wetlands with international value (according to the Ramsar Convention). In 1995 it was recognized as a Natural Protected Area by the Region of Umbria.
As for the specificity of the characteristics of the Swamp itself, as told by the online Umbria magazine, its uniqueness has given rise to the presence of a rich aquatic fauna. In fact, the phenomenon of karstification originates in the Plateau. In other words, the cracks caused by the tectonic movement, with the continuous penetration of water, create a series of underground cavities that make up the network itself.
This is why species such as plankton and benthos live in the Swamp; fish such as tench and eel, amphibians such as spotted newt, green ray, toad, tree frog; small reptiles such as lizard, lizard; birds such as red heron, wild goose; mammals such as weasel, fox and hedgehog.
The Marsh of Colfiorito is fed partly by rainwater and partly by springs at the bottom. The water level remains constant at a height of 756 metres above sea level, with a maximum depth in the centre of about 4 metres. It is the only residue of the lake basins that once covered the Plestini Highlands. And that of the swamp, of all the sub-basins, is the only one to be covered with water throughout the year, completely or partially.
The supply of water from the swamp is mainly related to atmospheric precipitation and to a small extent to water from some springs. To empty itself, instead, you can count on the Molinaccio swallow.
