In Ardèche, the Ouvèze river still rich in water thanks to renaturation

In Ardèche, the flow of rivers is at its lowest after three months of drought. But, there are miracles. The Ouvèze, whose bed crosses the village of Rompon, contains more water than a few years ago at the same time of year. This is thanks to the technique of renaturation. This term designates development operations and restaurant management then conservatory consisting in restoring theecological and landscape condition of natural sites degraded by human activities.

On the banks of the Ouvèze, man has intervened to help nature reclaim its place. Nearly 30,000 cubic meters of pebbles and gravel were deposited in the river bed to retain water. Plants have been planted to provide shade and prevent the river from drying up.

The water is flowing again

In 10 years, the results are very encouraging with a much higher flow of the Ouvèze in the middle of summer. A decade ago photos of the site showed a dry river, with no plants on its banks. Today, the landscape is much greener and water flows under the rocks deposited there as part of the renaturation process.

“We find quantities of water. We find protected species like the beaver with this dam that we see in front of us. We also find a lot of fish and dragonflies”explains Alexandre Saussac, river technician at the Privas center Ardèche urban community.

A track to follow for many French territories severely affected by drought this summer.