After the historic drought that we experienced this summer, the return to normal is not yet here in the rivers. To the point that in Tours, the flow of the Cher was too low to accommodate as planned the French canoe kayak championships. The Federation then decided to relocate them to the Rhône. The events took place from October 29 to November 1 on an artificial river fed by the Rhône in Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf, straddling the Loire and Isère departments.
© Radio France
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Noemie Philippot
The base of Eaux Vives saw hundreds of competitors parade during these four days of competition organized by the canoe kayak club of Vienne in Isère. “The flow of the Cher was really very, very low. It took 10 cubic meters and it really didn’t work” describes its president Marc Janeriat. “Here there are 10, 12 cubic meters insured all the time, we will always have sufficient flow with the Rhône” who has the highest throughput in France. It feeds the artificial river through a valve.
The situation worries whitewater enthusiasts
At 16, Camille knows the pool by heart. She won the medal at home, an advantage, but the situation worries her “a little bit, because sometimes we say to ourselves that it happens, we won’t be able to sail on this river in a while and that’s a shame.” If the Rhône is not in as critical a state as the Cher, it was weaker this summer, this questions Philippe Couchoud, the head of the Eaux Vives area. “White water basins will perhaps make it possible to compensate for this lack of water on natural rivers. For how long, that… as long as the Rhône has flow it’s good, but we know very well that the glaciers will melt.”
© Radio France
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Noemie Philippot
The seasons are shifting on natural rivers observes Philippe Couchoud. “The rivers that were full of water in the Alps during the July period, now it might be more full of water during the periods of May, beginning of June” due to lack of snow and rapid melting.
This is also why the organizers of the 2023 French championships are trying to bring the date of the beginning of July as close as possible. The competition must take place in the Ubaye valley in the Alpes de Haute-Provence but a plan B is already in mind in case the water is still lacking.