The paper deals with the analysis of hydrological and hydrochemical data coming out from 2 distinct monitoring projects of springs and creeks in 5 mountainous watersheds in Northern Apennines (Italy), located inside the outcropping area of “Marnoso Arenacea” arenaceous torbiditic unit. The main goal is to define a conceptual model for groundwater flow in such a litology, widespread in the area. Base-flow discharge is mainly focused on creeks, where they intersect tectonic lineaments or as a consequence of a well developed interflow in the most detensioned and weathered shallow portion of the rock mass; springs occurrence is controlled by Arenite/Pelite ratio and is connected to local groundwater flow systems (sensu “Tóth”). Instead, the few higher yield springs are connected to watershed-boundary crossing tectonically-controlled groundwater flow systems.