OpenRivers Programme

grants for removal small barriers in Europe

42 Mio Euros for river restoration

One million structures fragment Europe’s rivers, contributing to declining biodiversity and water quality. The AMBER EU project has shown that small structures of up to 2m represent 68% of the structures in Europe, and that their removal is more effective from an environmental point of view and better accepted by the population than the removal of larger structures.

The Arcadia Foundation**, by relying on the AMBER EU study, created the Open Rivers programme* in October 2021, which will finance a number of small-scale dam removal projects in Europe to the tune of 42 million euros until 2026/2027.

*  The European Open Rivers Programme is a Dutch grant giving foundation funded by Arcadia. The foundation aims to restore endangered European rivers by supporting interventions that lead to the removal of small dams and the restoration of river flow and biodiversity.

** Arcadia is a charitable foundation that works to protect nature, preserve cultural heritage and promote open access to knowledge. Since 2002, Arcadia has awarded more than $1 billion to organisations around the world.

ERN can support and advise if you wish to apply

Dam Removal Europe, co-founded by ERN, is partner of the OpenRivers programme. As such, ERN is the interface for France and is ready to support or advise if you wish to apply. Contact  : corinne.ronot (at) rivernet.org

The funding will be allocated in priority to clearing works but also to accompanying actions (studies…). The structures eligible for funding are of general interest. The criteria and procedure for applying are presented on the openrivers.eu website, as well as the guide for applicants and the application platform.

The main selection criteria are :

– height of the obstacle max 2m (this criterion may change during the year)
– the removal works will be completed after one year;
– significant ecological gains and local managers approving the project.

The criteria and procedure for applying are presented on the openrivers.eu website.

!! Next call for application

Winter call : From 10th February, 2025 to 14th March 2025 (application outcome end of July)
Summer call : From 9th June, 2025 to 4th July 2025 (application outcome November)
Automn call : From 6th October 2025 to 31st October 2025 (application outcome March 2026)

News

All news
Selected projects

Of the 128 European projects already financed by the Open Rivers programme at the end of 2024, more than ten involve France. Reopening of a long stretch of waterway, multiple deletions, priority Grenelle structures, biodiversity and heritage species issues, local commitment and short implementation times were the key factors in their selection.
Below are ERN’s projects that have received financial support from the Open Rivers Programme :

Located in the Charente catchment area, the Tardoire is a major concern for the European eel.

The restoration programme involved the removal of 4 structures, freeing up 18.6 km of watercourse and reconnecting 3.2 km with the tributary La Colle.

The aim of the restoration is to improve the morphology and natural functions of the Tardoire. As a result, the quality of the aquatic habitats, which will be more diversified and better oxygenated, and the quality of the water will be enhanced, as will the hydromorphological functioning of the river.

Target species: Brown trout (Salmo Trutta), European eel (Anguilla Anguilla)
Work carried out between December 2022 and June 2023
More information on the project and the Tardoire: see our dedidated page

© SYMBA

Project by  Syndicat Tardoire amont SYMBA
Partners : Open Rivers Programme, European Rivers Network

The Ressegue is a sub-tributary of the Cère. The water pearl mussel, which is on the IUCN red list (EN – Endangered in France), is present in this basin.

The restoration work will reconnect 12.3 km, or 96% of the length of the Ressegue, and 23 km of other watercourses throughout the catchment area. The granulometry, water quality and habitats favourable to the fario trout and its host, the mussel, and the range of these species will be improved, as will the hydromorphological functioning of the river.

Key species: Brown trout (Salmo trutta), Freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera), European otter (Lutra lutra)
Natura 2000 site: FR8302033 – Affluents of the Cère in Chataigneraie.

More information on the project and the Ressegue: see our dedidated page


©SMDMCA                                                      ©Drone ki peut

Project by : Syndicat Mixte de la Dordogne Moyenne et de la Cère Aval
Partner : Open Rivers Programme, European Rivers Network

Removal of the two structures on the Poyat stream will reopen the watercourse up to the sources, potentially enabling the Poyat to be recolonized by the white clawed crayfish. The Poyat has relatively sustained low water flows, making it a significant refuge area in summer.

Key species: Salmo trutta, Austropotamobius pallipes, Cottus gobio, Lampetra planeri

More information on the project and the Poyat : see our dedidated page

© SISMAE

Project by : SISMAE
Partner : Open Rivers Programme, Loire Bretagne Water Agency, Patagonia, Fondation Nature et Découverte, European Rivers Network

The Batitan dam is located on the Branugues stream, considered a nursery for salmonid reproduction. This stream is the last potentially accessible upstream tributary in the Cère basin before the 15-meter-high Nepès hydroelectric dam on the Cère. For many years, the fishing federation has been protecting and restoring the hydromorphology of the watercourse, but fish are unable to access the main part of this tributary because the Batitan mill blocks the passage of fish 800m after the confluence with the Cère.

The removal will open up more than 8 linear kilometers of waterway and reduce the pressure currently observed on the Cère at Laroquebrou. This will make 87% of the Branugues stream accessible and fully open. Also this will improve grain size, water quality, breeding habitats and access to upstream spawning grounds, as well as the overall hydromorphological functioning of the river. Removing this dam improve the hydromorphology of the sector by eliminate the clogging of the riverbed by the fine sediments stored on site by the dam.

Focal Species : Brown Trout, Brook Lamprey
Key habitats : Rivers, riverbanks, wet meadows, ash and alder woods in fast-flowing rivers, streams, trout areas
Classified site Natura 2000
Km to be opened: 8 linear kilometres

Commune Laroquebrou, Département du Cantal, Région Auvergne Rhône Alpes

Project by Syndicat Mixte de la Dordogne Moyenne et de la Cère Aval
Partners : Fédération de pêche du Cantal, ERN, Open Rivers
More infos  : https://www.smdmca.fr/

The Souvigne is an important tributary of the Dordogne for salmonid spawning. It is home to 8.4% of the spawning grounds in the Dordogne basin (according to an ECOGEA study for MiGADO, 2018). Particular attention needs to be paid to restoring this tributary for migratory fish.

The restoration program on this basin, 7 obstacles to be removed, will reconnect 15km or 83% of the Ressegue’s linear and 25 km of watercourses throughout the watershed. Granulometry, water quality, breeding habitats and access to upstream spawning grounds will be improved, as will the overall hydromorphological functioning of the river.

Target species: Brown trout (Salmo trutta), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), European eel (Anguilla anguilla).
The Dordogne basin has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2012.

Project by: Syndicat Mixte de la Dordogne Moyenne et de la Cère Aval.

The Gave d’Azun is a thirty-kilometre-long river in the western Pyrenees that flows into the Gave de Pau. Identified as an important river for salmon due to its favourable habitats, the Gave d’Azun is a watercourse that must be made accessible as part of the salmon restoration plan for the Gave de Pau. The ‘pont de la route du Sailhet’ weir is the first downstream structure on the axis of the Gave d’Azun and is located a few hundred metres from the confluence with the Gave de Pau.

A ‘coordinated operation’ to restore ecological continuity on the Gave d’Azun was launched in 2018 by the Water Agency. This coordinated action concerns 5 structures and will provide access to more than 11 km of watercourse by 2025.

The target species  : Atlantic salmon and sea trout and eel. Brown trout and sculpin are also priority species listed.

Maitre d’Ouvrage : Commune D’Argelès-Gazost
Partner : Agence de l’Eau Adour Garonne, Open Rivers Programme, European Rivers Network
Work scheduled for autumn 2025

The Eyrieux valley is a land of contrasts, from its source at an altitude of 1,105 m to its confluence with the Rhône River at 93 m, south of Valence.

The upstream Eyrieux is typical of a good-quality salmon-farming zone, with brown trout being the target species. The white-footed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) has also been invotoried in the vicinity of the project, and the Eyrieux basin is one of the most heavily populated in France to date, with over 100 km of its length occupied. Other heritage species include the yellow-bellied sounder, wetland azure, alpine newt, otter and fine-bodied corduridae.

Two weirs, around 100 m apart, block the upstream Eyrieux in the commune of Saint Agrève. They were created to supply “textile” activities, a mill and a sawmill, but today, these two water intakes are no longer used for any purpose

The work will consist of removing the 2 weirs and recreating the 70 m linear stretch of the Eyrieux in its natural position at the bottom of the valley, on the section that had been diverted. This will contribute to the full restoration of the aquatic environment in this sector of the upstream Eyrieux. In particular, they will enable the renaturation of the river’s morphology, habitats and surroundings (riparian vegetation, open spaces, etc.).

Fish continuity will be fully restored along 15 km of the upstream Eyrieux, reconnecting it with 4 of its tributaries (18 km), for a total of 33 km of reopened main watercourses and 12.5 km of secondary streams.

Focal species : Fario trout, White-footed crayfish
Key habitats : riparian forest, ash alder grove, rivers, riverbanks, ash and alder woods, salmonidae areas
Km to be reopened : 33 linear kilometres, all stream

©SMEC

Commune de Saint Agrève, Département de l’Ardèche, Région Auvergne Rhône Alpes
Project by Syndicat Mixte Eyrieux Clair
Partners : Fédération de pêche de l’Ardèche, DDT07, OFB, Commune de Saint Agève, Commmunauté de Commune Val d’Eyrieux, ERN, AERMC, Open Rivers
More infos  :  https://www.eyrieux-clair.fr

The Laussonne is a tributary of the upstream Loire.
A refuge for biodiversity, access to the headwaters of the river is vital for the survival of species sensitive to warming waters in the context of climate change. The Explore 2070 study states that certain freshwater species, such as brown trout and grayling, will only be able to survive in these areas by 2050.

The structure to be removed is located around 150 m from the confluence, and the work will reconnect 44 km of river to the Loire. The Laussonne restoration program also includes the removal of two other structures further upstream, and the restoration of wetlands.

Given the local peri-urban context, the works include the restoration of riverbanks using bioengineering techniques and local vegetation, with the aim of stabilizing and improving riverbank functionality and benefiting biodiversity.

Target species: Grayling (Thymallus thymallus), Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
Natura 2000 site: FR 8301081, ouvrage grenelle

Project by:  EPAGE Loire-Lignon

The Sibila ford is a submersible road structure owned by the municipality. The structure comprises 11 nozzles cast in concrete.

Located downstream of the Daronne, 100ml apart from the confluence with the Doux, this structure is targeted in the Eel Management Plan for the Rhône Méditerranée basin and prevents the migration of fish up to the Daronne.

The Sibila dam will be modified to restore ecological continuity and maintain the use of the road.

Target species: Brown trout (Salmo Trutta), European eel (Anguilla Anguilla), Beavers, Otters
Study ongoing

© SMBVD

Project by  Syndicat Mixte du Bassin Versant du Doux (SMBVD)
Partners : Open Rivers Programme, Rhône Méditerranées Corse Water Agency, European Rivers Network

Completed projects supported by ERN, with Open Rivers Programme funding

Renaturation of Poyat stream, Loise catchment (Loire) 2024

Removal of Pont de Rhodes weir, Cere catchment (Cantal) 2024

Removal of 4 weirs on the Tardoire, Charente catchment (Haute-Vienne) 2022-2023

Open Rivers Programme est soutenu par la fondation