Hydrological time-series (1935–1980) of the Volturno River: groundwater level and hydrometric database

This dataset provides a digitized and standardized collection of hydrological and hydrogeological time-series data from the Volturno River coastal plain (Campania, Southern Italy). The data were originally published in printed hydrological bulletins by the Servizio Idrografico Italiano (1935–1980), available only as scanned PDF documents. In this format, the information was not immediately suitable for comparative analysis, time-series evaluation, or hydrological modelling. To enable scientific reuse, the datasets were digitized from the official series Dati caratteristici dei corsi d’acqua italiani (Publication No. 17, Stralcio II–VI, Campania region), issued by the Servizio Idrografico Italiano of the Ministry of Public Works. Through a systematic process of manual transcription, formatting, and quality control, the historical tables were converted into standardized Excel files. This workflow ensures data accessibility, reproducibility, and consistency, supporting long-term preservation and modern analytical applications. The dataset consists of a primary data collections: 1. Groundwater level dataset (1927–1980) Time-series measurements of groundwater level depths recorded at several monitoring stations located across the Volturno River coastal plain. These records are useful for analyzing seasonal, annual and multi-decadal fluctuations of the shallow aquifer system. File name: · Groundwater level - annual data (.csv) 2. Hydrometric levels dataset (1927–1980) Systematic measurements of river water level (stage) taken at different hydrometric stations along the Volturno River along the Campanian Plain from Capua city to the river mouth. These data support studies related to fluvial hydrology, flood dynamics and hydrological regime variability. File name: · Hydrometric Data - monthly and annual mean water levels (.csv) 3. Measurement of river discharge dataset (1931–1980) Volturno river discharge data (m³/s) collected at the Cancello Arnone gauging station, essential for hydrological modeling, water balance assessments and the evaluation of hydrological response to climatic and land-use variations. File name: · Volturno River Discharge – Cancello Arnone station (.csv) The dataset also includes a .csv file containing the coordinates of the main monitoring stations. File name: · Piezometric station coordinates – Volturno Plain (.csv) All datasets have been structured to allow time-series analysis, comparative evaluation between stations, and potential integration into GIS systems and hydrological models. Variable names, units and table formats have been standardized to support interoperability and reuse.