Valle Cavanata Nature Reserve, protected area in Italy (EUAP0980)

Valle Cavanata is a regional nature reserve in the Fossalon locality of Grado, in the easternmost part of the Grado Lagoon. It covers 341 hectares, 67 of them sea, and was created from a fish-farming valley embanked in the 1920s and fitted with sluice gates that let water in at high tide and out at low tide. Behind the sandy shore lie dunes, a young wood of poplars and willows, saltmarsh with Limonium, and meadows mown in early July.

The reserve was established in 1996 to protect the natural landscape that was once used for fishing activities. This shift from a working fishing area to a protected zone reflects the region's decision to prioritize conservation over traditional resource extraction.

The reserve lies at Fossalon, in the easternmost part of the Grado Lagoon. Some short paths are always open and can be walked freely; others are only accessible with an accompanying guide. The water level is regulated by sluice gates, so the basins change with the tides. The highest number of species is recorded in April, the largest number of individuals in winter.

The reserve's name comes from the Cavanata fishing valley, whose sluice gates still let lagoon water in at high tide and out at low tide. A metallic grid called the lavoriere trapped fish during the farming years, which lasted until 1995. Since then water levels have been managed for birds, and pink flamingos have recently been recorded here.