The surf spot project on Lake Créteil raises questions

Surfer to Créteil? The proposal may seem unusual. But maybe not for long. The Joint Study, Development and Management Union (SMEAG) of the Créteil leisure island is in fact engaged in a reflection around the creation of a surf spot in the town. And unlike artificial wave projects associated with the creation of equally artificial bodies of water, which are resource-intensive (water, energy, land, etc.), this one relies on what already exists since it plans to create a floating atoll with a semi-natural wave on Lake Créteil.

Called “Okahina Wave”, this concept, developed by the company WaveRiding Solution, is presented as environmentally friendly thanks to a “ fully removable », « without concrete or lasting impact of the landscape “, an operation “ energy efficient, which does not require any filtration system » and its floating atoll « whose mixing effect oxygenates the water, limits the warming of lakes and allows floating waste to be recovered “. What’s more, the structure includes fish “nurseries” which enrich the aquatic biotope “. And the semi-natural wave of “Okahina Wave” will be modular and will therefore adapt to all levels. So you don’t need to be a seasoned surfer to dare to go there, even if it can meet their requirements, with a wave of 60 cm to 2 m which will break every 15 seconds.

Despite these arguments, the project is making waves. But not those expected. Because it worries some people. The Nature & Society association in particular, leader of the Maison de la Nature on the leisure island of Créteil for twenty years, which questions, despite everything, the environmental impact of such an installation, recalling that “ the Leisure Island of Créteil is of great interest to the Ile-de-France region for terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and plays a very important role as a wetland by welcoming numerous protected species ». Et « the establishment of a surfing facility on Lake Créteil and the infrastructure that will complete it risks having a very strong impact on local biodiversity and is likely to further degrade the biodiversity situation in the region », warns the association. For her, “ such a project is only possible today if it is demonstrated, in a very solid manner, that it has no negative impact on the fauna and flora, both aquatic and terrestrial, or that it has a positive impact, which should be formally established upstream ».

The mayor calls for “complete” studies

Laurent Cathala, the mayor (PS) of the town, is also cautious, specifying “ that at this stage, the City is not committed to this project » and that this one « considers it essential, before any decision, to carry out a feasibility study allowing for more precise knowledge of the amount of investment necessary for the overall economics of the project and the accessibility of this practice in terms of price for users “. Because, on the one hand, the City judges “ prohibitive » the proposed prices. Around 60 euros per hour of surfing. The municipality also expresses reservations regarding the forecast amount of “ lourds » investments necessary for this installation. Investments of around 24 million euros which “ inevitably require a financing plan involving the different communities represented within the SMEAG », Estimates Laurent Cathala. Finally, the elected official also questions the possible environmental consequences of the project and thus considers it necessary to have “ a precise and demanding study relating to the ecological impact of this project on the fauna, flora, water quality and preservation of the great biodiversity of the lake and surrounding natural spaces ». « The impact of this project on the urban landscape and the protection of the tranquility of the Leisure Island must be studied with equal attention, as will its compatibility with current regulations which prohibit swimming on the entire body of water. », Adds the mayor of Créteil.

Also, for the moment, “ in the absence of these elements, it is not possible to comment on the advisability of such a project on which complete studies must be implemented by an organization independent of the company.e », procrastinates the elected official. For its part, the Nature & Society association warns that it will carry “ scrupulous attention to possible developments of the project » and requests access to “ the entire file technique » submitted by the company WaveRiding Solution or the one « of all other competing structure which would express its interest “. The waves are therefore not about to break on the shores of Lake Créteil… And the project is not safe from drinking the cup like “La vague Grand Paris” which planned, a few years ago, to see rise the first dynamic and artificial outdoor surf wave in France in Sevran, in Seine-Saint-Denis.