The thesis presents a preliminary study about a major hydraulic infrastructure that is the Cavour Canal, a water distribution work that supports the irrigation of a major area in the north of Piemonte. First, historical documentation was considered to frame the infrastructure development and to define the channel layout, the design slopes and the geometric characteristics of the channel cross section. This information is then complemented with ground elevation information and aerial overviews. Water inflows and outflows of the canal and the most significant hydraulic nodes associated to them —such as branch canals and irrigation ditches— were examined in order to get a preliminary understanding of the variations in discharge along the entire course of the Cavour Canal.