“An exceptional situation”: due to floods, canoes cannot navigate the Dordogne for the Ascension

Gilles Ouardi, the boss of Canoe leisure in Vitrac, had not seen this for 20 years. The banks are completely flooded. Buses and canoes have their feet in the water. She even entered buildings. This Wednesday, we note 3.51 meters of water at the Cénac bridge. Canoes cannot navigate when the level exceeds 1.50 meters, it’s 2 meters for the barges.

No canoeing on the Dordogne and Vézère

“It’s already been a week since we’ve been unable to sail and we’ve been out of work. While we were hoping to be able to welcome our tourists for the Ascension weekend“, breathes Gilles Ouardi. After weeks of rain, the sun is returning, we are expecting up to 27 degrees this weekend. All rental companies know that Ascension marks the start of the season. According to Gilles Ouardi, it will be necessary to wait at least ten days for the river level to drop sufficiently.

“Everyone wanted to canoe”

On the Vézère, it’s the same thing. “It’s an exceptional situation”, says Hugo, from Canoë family, in Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère. Canoes have not been able to sail since the beginning of May. “Everyone wanted to go canoeing. I had around a hundred reservations for Friday alone”adds Hugo.

If no decree prohibits navigation on the Vézère, canoe rental companies have agreed not to go out when the level exceeds 1 meter in Montignac. This Thursday the Vézère reaches 2.50 meters. Hugo hopes that with the extreme heat, the level will drop quickly, and he can take the canoes out this Sunday.