Case study:Refilling the meanders of the Colostre
Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
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Country | France |
Main contact forename | Vincent |
Main contact surname | Duru |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | FDPPMA Alpes-de-Haute-Provence |
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Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
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Project summary
The Colostre, a tributary of the River Verdon, is a typically Mediterranean river, with very low water levels upstream of Riez and flash flooding due to storms. The Colostre constitutes one of the only breeding grounds for brown trout. The beaver has also been recorded in this area.
In the 1960s, following exceptional summer flooding, hydraulic improvements were made in order to modify the longitudinal profile of the river (resizing, straightening of the river and creation of weirs). These developments degraded the habitats of the river and caused significant erosion of the river banks.
In response to this situation, in 1996, state fishing institutes and the local fishing association, initiated a protection Plan with the aim of free movement of salmonids and rediversification of habitats. The restoration measures formed part of the implementation of this plan.
Thirteen meanders were restored. The disconnected meanders had not been filled in and instead had been left uncultivated; most of them thus remained identifiable. The first stage consisted of restoring access to the meanders by removing the poplars planted during the resizing of the river. Next, the current was diverted towards the old meanders which remained visible. The entrance to the straight channel was blocked using a submersible weir (consisted of timber billets covered with gravels, geotextile and protective mesh). The downstream part of the straight section was not closed off in order to allow for the dispersal of floodwaters. In areas in which the meanders were not identified, various experimental habitat diversification developments were carried out and weirs were removed or modified.
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