La Roche-qui-Boit dam removal
Sélune river, Normandie, France, 2021-2022
La-Roche-qui-Boit dam June 20 2022 © ERN France Roberto Epple
Contexte
The hydroelectric dams of La Roche-qui-boit was built on the Sélune in 1914. At 16m it constitute an unsurmountable hinderance for migratory fish that frequent this coastal river. Given the impacts, the regulatory obligations made previously to bring them up to standard, water quality problems they generate, their low energy productivity and reports which conclude it is technically impossible to rearrange them, removal the La Roche Qui Boit and Vezins dams at the end of the concession period back in 2007 was requested by NGOs and also the represantatives of SAGE. Local opposition has also been strong. Since June 20 2022 the removal of the Roche-qui-boit has started.
An important scientific monitoring program has been supporting this project since 2012.
The works and project management
EDF is the project manager for the site. The sediment management work began in June 2020 and was completed in autumn 2021.
The final emptying of the water body began in spring 2022 and the deconstruction of the dam began on 20 June 2022.
Videos & reportages
>> see the report « Removal of the Sélune dams » (January 2023), ERN
>> see the report on the work to be carried out (2020) , EDF
Characteristics of the La-Roche-qui-Boit dam
– Built between 1916 et 1919
– Located 12 km from the sea
– Power : 1,6MW
– Production : 4,7 GWh
– Height : 16 mètres
– Width : 129 mètres
– Volume of the reservoir : 1,4 millions m3
– Length : 4 km
– Surface : 40 ha
La Roche-Qui-Boit dam removal
Sélune river after emptying reservoir and removal, habitats recovered !
photos coming asap
Our activities on Selune dams are supported by 
.
ERN is the official WWF Freshwater Partner in France and cooperates with WWF Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands and others
