The longest river in France is weakening in this particularly dry summer. The images captured from space show that the bed of the Loire can even be crossed on foot in places.
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An exceptional drought hits France, “the most serious ever recorded in our country”, according to the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. Witness the Loire, whose level is approaching its historic low and earlier in the summer than most previous years, particularly in the Centre-Val de Loire and in the Pays de la Loire. Satellite images taken on August 8 and 9, compared to the summer of 2021, show this drying out.
In Orléans, the boatmen in 30 centimeters of water
Even the barges hit rock bottom, as the Loire is so dry in Orléans. These traditional flat-bottomed boats are nevertheless suitable for navigation in very shallow waters. But with only 20 to 30 centimeters deep in places, navigation becomes complicated for boatmen whose turnover depends almost entirely on the tourist season.
In Tours, the Loire is crossed on foot
The sandbanks are gaining ground on the Loire, to the point that Tourangeaux can now cross it on foot. The river is approaching its historic low.
In Angers, increasingly rare fish
On the side of Angers, the fishermen chain the days without good catches. The drought is damaging the river’s ecosystem and fish are becoming rarer. “When it’s really too low, it can lead to mortality because the water is too hot and the fish end up on their backs”explains a fisherman to France 3 Pays de la Loire.
In Nantes, the water level 2 meters below normal
Even 50 kilometers from the estuary, the low flow of the Loire is visible. At Nantes, the lack of water is felt on the banks of the rivers, and even in crops and vegetable gardens. For lack of sufficient reserves, some market gardeners have to discard crops.