Dam Removal : Publication of the Synthesis of the Selune Conference

The French Office of Biodiversity has just published and put online a booklet (in french only) entitled “When rivers take their course again – Notes on the removal of dams and weirs, on the Sélune and elsewhere”.

This booklet presents the synthesis of the international symposium organized from 24 to 26 September 2019 by European Rivers Network, in partnership with the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB) and its resource center on rivers, the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), the National Federation of Fishing in France, the Seine-Normandy Water Agency and Dam Removal Europe, in Rennes, Avranches and the Sélune valley.

The purpose of this book, based on this unprecedented experience, is to disseminate knowledge on dam removal, the responses of rivers and biodiversity, and the conditions for success of these operations that profoundly transform the territories. Indeed, this dam removal project carried out on the Sélune River in Normandy is exceptional in terms of the size of the structures dismantled, the ambition of the scientific program undertaken for fifteen years, and the controversies it has generated.

Auteur(s) :Laurent Basilico, Jean Marc Roussel, Josée Peress, Corinne Ronot, Stéphane Fraisse,

Éditeur(s) : Office français de la biodiversité – OFB – Février 2021
Nombre de pages : 76

Au sommaire

I – Du « tout-barrages » vers la continuité écologique

  • Une fragmentation généralisée des cours d’eau
  • Impacts écologiques des barrages : quelques rappels
  • L’effacement de barrages : du militantisme aux politiques publiques
  • Un mouvement associatif plus actif que jamais
  • Éclairage – « SOS Loire vivante », un combat pionnier
  • Ce que dit la réglementation, en France et en Europe
  • La vie après l’effacement : des connaissances encore parcellaires

II – Le projet de la Sélune, vitrine et laboratoire

  • Genèse et enjeux d’un projet hors-normes
  • Éclairage – La gestion sédimentaire du chantier de Vezins
  • Un programme scientifique hors du commun (2012-2027)
  • La dynamique fluviale : effet des barrages et premières réponses
  • Communautés d’espèces : quelles dynamiques post-effacement ?
  • Éclairage – L’Observatoire de la Sélune : des données accessibles à tous
  • Végétation des berges et paysages agricoles de la Sélune
  • La dimension sociale et l’avenir du territoire

Première brèche dans le barrage de Vezins, l’un des ouvrages démantelés sur la Sélune (juin 2019, ERN).

III – Contributions d’ici et d’ailleurs à la « boîte à outils » mondiale

  • Hydromorphologie, habitats : quelles réponses des rivières ?
  • Poissons migrateurs : quelle(s) recolonisation(s) ?
  • Des bénéfices écologiques aux bénéfices économiques
  • Financement et conduite des projets : du national au local
  • Éclairage – En Corée du Sud, une mobilisation massive pour sauver les « Quatre rivières »
  • Après les barrages, écrire l’avenir des territoires

River Basin Management Plan: Public Consultation Underway

  • The River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) 2022-27 subject to public consultation

The River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) are currently being revised in the European Union, according to the schedule set by the European Framework Directive. The new management plans will then come into force from 2022 to 2027, which will be the 3rd cycle of their implementation as provided for by the WFD.
From March 1st to September 1st, each SDAGE (French name for RBMPs) is submitted to public consultation in each river basin (see below for the French Basin).

Find the consultation that concerns you in metropolitan France

>> SDAGE Loire-Bretagne

>> SDAGE Rhin-Meuse
>> SDAGE Adour Garonne
>> SDAGE Rhône-Méditerranée
>> SDAGE Corse
>> SDAGE Artois-Picardie
>> SDAGE Seine-Normandie

  • Assessment underway by the Living Rivers Europe coalition

Several member associations of the Living Rivers in Europe (LRE) coalition, including ERN, are jointly carrying out an analysis of the quality and relevance of the management plans being developed in different countries of the European Union, to highlight possible weaknesses based on common indicators. These indicators aim at translating the identification of the stakes and problems and the ambition of the management plans and programs of measures for all the topics related to water management: drought and flood management, protection and restoration of aquatic environments, agriculture and non-point pollution, etc.
A report presenting the results of the assessment for all the analyzed basins will be published in June 2021, followed by an update report later for the Member States whose revision of management plans is delayed.

Objectives:

– Make recommendations to the European Commission, to inform its future management plan assessments and enforcement work.

– Support NGOs in their advocacy for more ambitious and relevant management plans.

-Provide additional visibility to management plans.

 

 

Allier river (France) : The work on the Poutès dam in the spotlight

The work of the New Poutès on the Allier river has recently been highlighted in the french national medias.

At first, an article, by Martine Valo, was published in the famous daily newspaper Le Monde on 25/02/2021, entitled “Le barrage de Poutès s’ouvre pour laisser filer vers l’Atlantique les saumons sauvages de l’Allier”.

>> See the article of Le Monde of 25/02/2021

It was followed closely by two reports in the television news of France 2 and TF1 of which here are the extracts:

>> Extract from the 8:00 pm news of March 04, 2021 on FR2 (3’29)

>> Extract from the 8:00 pm news of March 07, 2021 on TF1 (3’54)

See our pages for more infos on Poutes Dam

03/22/2021 Debate on Vichy dam (France): one more hydroelectric power station on a highly migratory river?

SHEMA (a subsidiary of EDF) plans to install and operate a hydroelectric power station on the Allier on the left bank of the Vichy dam-bridge. The project, still little known by the citizens, is sensitive because it will impact the Loire and Allier, a major axis of migration of the Salmon whose protection is at stake at the European level !
To give you an opinion on this project, SOS Loire Vivante-ERN, the Association Saumon Sauvage, the association Protection du Saumon, Allier Sauvage, the FRANE and other partners offer you
a webinar-debate (only in french, no translation sorry)
on March 22nd
4pm to 6pm.

Registrations are open (only in french, no translation sorry)
>>More information by clicking here

VJOSA FOREVER: Support the National Park Project

THE FUTURE OF EUROPE’S LARGEST UNSPOILT RIVER IS AT STAKE

The Vjosa, one of the last wild rivers in Europe, is in danger. Patagonia is launching a campaign to support the project to create a national park on the Vjosa, which could protect the entire river and its tributaries.

On this occasion, a 6′ short film has been released to explain the issues at stake and to mobilise the citizens of Europe to preserve this magnificent valley.

>> See the film (6′)

Report cover page

Hydropower in Europe : Transformation – not development (WWF Report)

European rivers are the most fragmented in the world, contributing to the rapid decline in freshwater biodiversity.
As a result, a drastic transformation of the hydropower sector is urgently needed to reduce its environmental
impact. This can be achieved through several steps: the first one is to stop building new hydropower plants which worsen the fragmentation of rivers and lead to the loss of precious habitats and species.

The second step is to lessen the environmental impact of existing plants through plant environmental refurbishment. From ecological flows to acquiring knowledge on fish migration patterns, hydropower plants can be adapted and managed in a more nature- sensitive manner, as illustrated by a case study on the Allier River in the Loire Valley, France.

The third step is the restoration of the rivers’ natural functions,
in particular continuity and habitats. The case study on the construction of a reproduction channel next to the Imatra hydropower plant in Finland, illustrates active restoration measures that should be taken to complement mitigation measures at the plant itself.

download the WWF Report :  https://www.wwf.eu/what_we_do/water/?uNewsID=2329866 

 

Stephane Granzotto

Documentary “Salmons and Men”

Photo : Saumon atlantique dans la rivière Allier. • © Stéphane Granzotto

Directed by Stéphane Granzotto, this film was broadcast on France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in November 2020.
This documentary is about the Atlantic Salmon (Loire Allier strain), and focuses on the journey of the species on the Allier River, a tributary of the Loire River (France). Among the obstacles presented, the Vichy dam or the Poutès dam and its redevelopment in favor of the migration of the Salmon.

Film again available in full on vimeo : To be seen here

 

National Geographic highlights actions to promote ecological continuity of rivers

Are we finally going to reach a broad awareness of the urgency of restoring the ecological continuity of rivers? The Amber cartography has recently highlighted a staggering number of dams of all sizes that fragment Europe’s rivers (see our news of 05/01 :More than 1 Million). The quantity of small structures and thresholds is considerable. The large dams are no longer the only ones to be pointed at! By displaying the state of degradation of rivers in the eyes of all, this atlas is a very good tool for raising public awareness of the importance of restoring ecological continuity.
In 2020, some prestigious magazines have taken up the cause, such as Nature (2020/12/17) or, in France, the newspaper Le Monde (2020/12/16).  The National Geographic magazine also takes up these figures but points out the fact that in many parts of the world actions are underway to fight against this fragmentation of rivers.  Several examples of levelling or development of dams are cited, such as the Sélune in France. Several members of the Dam Removal Europe movement are interviewed

>> Read the National Geographic article of 2020/12/17

More than one million barriers fragment Europe’s rivers !

As part of the Amber project, a European atlas of dams and other obstacles was published this year. It took 4 years of census work, on 2700 km of rivers to complete this project, which is completed over time (see our news of last July 06). To date, the updated figure is staggering!  More than 1.2 million obstacles prevent the free running of our rivers and consequently their life …

A first study drawn from this database was published on 16/12/20 in the journal Nature (article to read here), signed by 20 researchers with Barbara Belletti, specialist in geomorphology at the CNRS and the University of Lyon, as main author.

 >> Discover the Atlas on line

In 2021, ERN will tell you a story in pictures…. but which one??

….the story of the restoration of ecological continuity in France, of course !

Please support our project before December 18

In 2021, our association ERN is going to realize a series of several short films, on the policy of restoration of the ecological continuity in France * : ” For free and living rivers: erase, modify and avoid ” (Project n°1)

To conduct its project, ERN has been selected among others in the framework of MobBiodiv’2020 by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB).

Until December 18, citizens can vote to elect a “Coup de coeur du public” among the 47 projects.

Watch our trailer here

VOTE : Did you like it?  Just click here and vote for ERN’s project n°1 “Erase, Modify, Avoid – for living rivers” (Attention, to vote, you have to go to the very bottom of the page!). Thanks !

 

* Indeed, France is a leader in Europe in restoring ecological continuity in particular by erasing small and large cross-cutting structures. Since 1997, it has acquired recognized know-how through innovative policies and major projects. The period 2020-2022 will be marked by large-scale river restoration projects on an international scale: the removal of two large dams on the Sélune and the complete reconfiguration of the Poutès dam on the Haut Allier.
It is to tell and share the French experience that ERN has planned to produce a series of audiovisual modules for the general public, as well as micro-videos for social networks. Broadcasting is planned on a national and international scale.