Along the Dronne: preserving the banks and aquatic species

Twice a day, Jean-Michel Chabaud stops by to see his herd of Limousines. In Saint-Pancrace (Dordogne)these cows spend nine months of the year outside. Calves grow up with their mothers. The herd lives almost independently thanks to a stream, a tributary of the Dronne. However, this tradition is now being called into question. Specialist in river protection, François-Xavier Dupressoir at a glance to identify what is wrong. A fence has recently been installed to limit cows’ access to the stream. Next to it, there is an access where they can drink without damaging the banks.

The pearl mussel, a rare species

At the confluence of the stream with the Dronnethe banks are naturally preserved. On these banks there is a diversity of trees, vital for the river. Among the wildlife aquatic, hides a rare species, a pearl of the Dronne. This treasure is the pearl mussel. It is impossible to see it without a cone which lights up the bed of the river, where they burrow. This pearl mussel is not known for its taste qualities. Cedric Devillégermission manager Nature 2000, explains: “It can produce a pearl when a foreign body [entre], to protect himself. She coats it in mother-of-pearl. (…) She was plundered for that.” Although it is no longer pillaged, it is still classified as an endangered species in France.