DRE launch today the dam removal progress report for 2022

The latest report uncovers a surprising figure of (at least) 325 barriers have been removed in 16 European countries – a new record! As in 2021, most of the removed barriers were weirs, as these structures have a high probability of being old and obsolete and can be removed in a cost-efficient way. But large dams such as the Roche-qui-boit dam in France (16m high) are also among the 2022 achievements.

Several factors have contributed to the new numbers such as newly available funding opportunities, like the Open Rivers Programme, the coordinated efforts of national and regional public authorities to report removed barriers, and the hype created by findings of last year’s report disseminated all around Europe.

Given the latest developments in European climate policy and the Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law, it is important to keep highlighting dam removal as a crucial tool to accomplish ecosystem restoration and celebrating success stories across Europe. Moreover, barrier removal also contributes to the global Freshwater Challenge to restore 300,000km of degraded rivers by 2030, a goal launched at the UN Water Conference held in New York in March. Besides pollution, habitat degradation, and over exploitation of natural resources, freshwater ecosystems face one major issue: dams.

It has been found that over 1,2 million barriers fragment European rivers, with many being obsolete. Among the several harmful consequences is biodiversity loss, with a decline of 93% in freshwater migratory fish populations in Europe and 76% on a global level. The alarming numbers ask for costeffective and efficient solutions to restore rivers. Dam removal has been paving its way in nature
restoration tools – a trend has been confirmed across Dam Removal Europe’s annual reports.

Read the press release

Read the report

Logo Openrivers

Open Rivers : Second weir removed on the Tardoire !

Read more

Save the date : international colloquium “Des Saumons et des Hommes 3 ” 19-21 October 2023 – Brioude (France)

Ten years after the last meeting, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN is organising a new conference on the Loire salmon. This is an opportunity to take stock of the situation of the Atlantic salmon in the Loire and elsewhere. National and international experts will try to understand the reasons for the decline despite restoration efforts and whether our actions are still in line with current and future challenges.
Is it due to climate change or to phenomena at sea or in the river? During the health check and the presentation of the results of restoration actions, we will compare the case of the Loire with other highly migratory river basins such as the Rhine, the Elbe, the Adour, the Garonne, the Sélune, etc,
Are you interested in this event?

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Sélune dams removals in video (12 min)

The Sélune has been free since last autumn. After the dismantling of the two large dams, the path is free for sediment and migratory fish for almost 100 km.

In a 12-minute video (in French and English) with spectacular images, you can follow the steps of the renaturalisation:

Video in french https://vimeo.com/549070141
Video in english https://vimeo.com/546711100

 

More infos about the Sélune

 

logo Living Rivers Europe

Open letter: Counting on new hydropower to accelerate Renewable Energy deployment in Europe is irresponsible

ERN and more than 100 NGOs write to EU negotiators asking them to protect Europe’s rivers from new hydropower deployment in the revised Renewable Energy directive.
Already in 2020, 150 NGOs signed a manifesto asking EU decision-makers to stop new hydropower development in Europe.

Read the WWF press release:

 Ahead of the nextpolitical trilogue on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, more than 100 NGOs are sending an open letter to co-legislators from the European Parliament, European Commission and Council Presidency, asking them to exclude new hydropower from go-to areas as well as to include sustainability criteria recognizing that hydropower has direct impacts on freshwater ecosystems which must be mitigated.

 Because hydropower potential has been so exploited already in Europe, new hydropower would only make a small contribution to the energy transition, while causing immense damage to our waterways. According to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022, freshwater species populations have seen the greatest overall global decline (83%), and within this species group, on average, monitored migratory fish populations have declined by 93% in Europe, making our continent the most affected.

Contact
Florian Cassier
Climate Communications Officer
fcassier@wwf.eu
+32 479 33 92 11

Book Cover

France: The New Poutès dam, partialy removed and now transparent will be inaugurated Oct. 24 – A book will be published

After a long struggle over 30 years, the New Poutès dam on the Upper Allier River, tributary of the Loire River, is officially inaugurated on 24 October 2022.

The dam, which was partialy removed from 20 m to 7 m, is now equipped with a fish lift and two huge gates. They are fully opened every year for 3 months and during floods and ensure good passage, especially for Europe’s last wild salmon. The downstream migration is also guaranteed by the low dam height of 6 m and the reduction of the length of the dam from 3.5 km to about 0.5 km. The project allow also the fully restoration of 20 km of the Allier River.

The “Nouveau Poutès” project has been co-constructed over the last 10 years by EDF, NGOs including ERN-SOS Loire Vivante, the municipalities and other stakeholders and can be described as the result of collective intelligence.
A book will be released in November 17 (in french only) > order the book and info in french

> more information on the “Nouveau Poutès” project

 

World Fish Migration Day – Exceptional visit of the “New Poutès” in France

On the occasion of the World Migratory Fish Day, of which ERN is an official partner, SOS Loire Vivante organizes in cooperation with EDF two guided tours of the “Nouveau Poutès” dam.

Indeed, in the Haut Allier, the works at the Poutès dam are now completed! Since the end of 2021, the dam is reconfigured to allow the free circulation of the last wild salmon populations during 3 months per year while maintaining about 85% of the hydroelectricity production.

To know MORE about the World Migratory Fish Day

Become aware of the relationship between humans and fish

Freshwater fish are the emblems of living rivers, indicators of good quality of the environment and vector of the development of sustainable activities on the territories. 15,000 species of freshwater fish and more particularly the 1,100 species of migratory fish are in danger. They no longer travel freely because of the numerous developments carried out on our rivers over the last few centuries (dams, weirs, etc.). To accomplish their migration, which is essential for their complete life cycle, they are now dependent on our policies and our commitments to restore and protect our rivers.More info on https://worldfishmigrationday.com/ but also Twitter, Facebook, Insta

 

Visit of the “Nouveau Poutès” dam organized by SOS Loire Vivante on May 21

On the occasion of the World Migratory Fish Day on May 21, SOS Loire vivante and EDF invite you to explore this exemplary site.
After many years of partial leveling and reconfiguration work, the result of our struggle, the site is now finished. By opening two huge gates, it allows migratory fish to pass through for 3 months a year, the rest of the year the water is turbined while respecting a minimum flow of 5m3/s for the Allier between Poutès and Monistrol d’Allier.
Reserve your place as soon as possible

France : “Nouveau Poutès dam” : observation of the lenght of the reservoir

> Watch the ERN Video “Overflight of the Allier River upstream of the Poutès dam” 

Only since the second week of March it has been possible to turbine. Indeed, since the closing of the gates, the Allier had never exceeded the reserved flow (5m3/sec). According to EDF, the operating tests were positive.

On March 15, with a total flow of 15m3/sec, we were able to observe the creation of a reservoir over a few hundred meters. Further upstream, the Allier, deeper than in the ‘transparency’ mode of the dam over a few hundred meters, remained in its former minor bed with a good current favorable to migration.

On Thursday March 24th, this time with a total flow of the Allier of 10M3/sec, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN  flew over the site at high altitude with a drone to better observe the evolution of the bed and the water retention area. In addition, with the authorization of EDF, we flew at low altitude as close as possible to the dam and the water intake. The observations of March 15 were confirmed.

> Watch the ERN Video “Overflight of the Allier River upstream of the Poutès dam” 

May 21, 2022 is World Migratory Fish Day !

May 21, 2022 is World Migratory Fish Day !

Organized every two years by the World Fish Migration Foundation, this day honors free-flowing rivers and migratory fish, which are often threatened. This day, many organizations around the world organize events on the theme “Reconnecting fish, rivers and people”. Already 95 events open to the public are registered, and it is not over.

> Check out the events

> Any association or individual can get involved and register an event.
Organize an event

> Take part in the actions organized by SOS Loire Vivante / ERN:
Virtual visit of the “New Poutès” dam completely reconfigured for salmon migration.

The location of the dam on the upper Allier river is of crucial importance: it determines the access of the salmon to the best spawning areas for the Loire-Allier strain of salmon, a unique strain able to migrate over long distances!

SOS Loire Vivante / ERN will organize a visit to the “new Poutès” dam and will record the visit and conduct interviews on site.

Other actions are being organized by SOS Loire Vivante.

 

> Website of the world fish migration day