Environmental Organisation Calls for Global Reflection After Worst Drought in French Records
Global reflection is being called for by Le Chabot, as the organisation highlights the threat to rivers from excessive use of water in Lac de Montbel by intensive monoculture and supporting the low water level of the Garonne.
Lac de Montbel in the Ariege was created in 1985 with a storage capacity of 60 million m3. Following the spectacular drought of 2022, the worst drought on French records, which left the lake dry, the lake is now at a fraction at its normal level for this time of year.
One year later, Lac de Montbel, April 2023
There are disastrous plans to divert yet another river into the lake to serve monoculture, much of it for animal feed and will encourage a collapse in biodiversity. Le Chabot, an environmental organisation concerned with protecting the water environments in the Ariege, strongly opposes this purely commercial vision for the exclusive benefit of a few agro-industrial lobbies, and so calls for the following objectives to be achieved:
To accelerate the adaption of agriculture methods in light of climate change – such as adapting cropping and production patterns towards more efficient water models, such as agroforestry, soil care, permaculture, food crops and fruit and vegetables. These models respect the soil and environment by considerably slowing down the speed at which water passes through at times of heavy rainfall, encourage water tables to recharge and limit the dangers of major floods.
To support organic, small-scale agriculture and farming
Zero pollution discharges from wastewater treatment plants
France has endured its driest stretch for over 60 years, experiencing 32 consecutive days – from January 21st to February 21st – with little or no rainfall, which is the longest stretch since records began in 1959. This will have a damaging effect of the country’s rivers, lakes and soils. Snowfall is close to the lowest record for this time of year, which means there will be less snowmelt to sustain rivers in these areas.
In South-West France, three departments manage the Montbel Dam – Ariege, Aude and Haute Garonne. As well as compensating for agricultural withdrawals to irrigate crops, mainly seed corn, consumption corn and soybeans, 5 million cubic meters are used to support the low water level of the Garonne and to produce hydroelectricity.
On the grounds of recurrent filling difficulties, the Ariège Departmental Council plan to withdraw an additional 13 to 17 million cubic meters from the Touyre. Not only will it further decimate biodiversity and aquatic environments, but the Touyre has also been an outlet for pollution from the textile industries in the past and, although having improved a little in the past few years, the quality of the water and sediment in the Toiyre remains potentially dangerous and could contaminate the quality of water in Lac de Montbel.
The water quality of the Touyre fluctuates from ‘bad’ to ‘mediocre’ and is a long way from reaching ‘good condition’, even further away from the swimmable quality required for the beaches of Montbel and Leran on the lake, an important leisure resource for the region.
As well as the disastrous diversion of the river L’Hers, the presence of 5 wastewater treatment plants has resulted in a concentration of residual effluents. Le Chabot call for an end to this wasteful and unnecessary use of water, including the proposed diversion of the Touyre and a review of agriculture practices and a focus on the health of the local communities, biodiversity and aquatic life.
About Le Chabot
Le Chabot association is run by a totally voluntary office. It is approved as an environmental protection association and is a member of France-Nature-Environnement (FNE). It is very attached to the principle of action in partnership with other associations interested in the natural river environment: Ariégeois Ecological Committee, Fishermen, associations for the protection of other waterways. Le Chabot members are fishermen, residents, environmentalists, nature lovers.