Loire-Atlantique. More than 3.5 million euros to restore the poor quality of waterways

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This is a new contract which aims to improve the quality of water and aquatic environments which was signed in Divatte-sur-Loire on Friday October 11.

This territorial contract concerns three basins: Goulaine Divatte and Robinetsan area of ​​less than 500 km2 covered by sixteen municipalities and the departments of Loire-Atlantique and Maine-et-Loire.

Restore rivers, marshes, wetlands

The envelope* financed to the tune of 49% (more than 1.7 million euros) by the Loire-Bretagne Water Agency exceeds 3.5 million euros.

It will pay for actions over three years (2024-2026) which will be used to restore rivers, marshes, wetlands, to fight against diffuse pollution or to act on the quantitative management of water… A phase with another three-year contract (2027-2029) is planned.

Poor quality

In a very agricultural area, where the water quality is poor or mediocre, as is the case in the Goulaine and Divatte basins, the contract sets itself the objective of regaining water quality.

A course is set. The Sdage (Direction plan for water development and management) of the Loire-Bretagne basin aims for a level of 61% of waters in good condition by 2027.

In the Pays de la Loire, only 11% of water bodies are in good condition.

In the Goulaine and Divatte basins, we will not be there.

“It’s an objective that we will probably not achieve,” recognized Jean-Sébastien Guitton, president of the Loire aval union, in charge of implementing actions on the ground.

In these two basins, “there is no indicator which shows a notable improvement”, recognizes Laurence Le Roy.

These indicators of better water health are what the union expects to record after the implementation of these new actions.

The program will prioritize interventions at the head of the watershed.

“It’s better to act upstream rather than downstream,” underlines the president.

This is the case of the operation of the Boisardière stream located in the green flow of Divatte-sur-Loire, a stream in a basin whose source is three kilometers away.

“Don’t Break” Wet Areas

In addition to the restoration of watercourses, there are actions on structures (fish crossings), on bocage inventories (hedges, buffer zones), on the protection or restoration of wetlands.

Wetlands are sponges with strong regulatory power. You must not break them. This is a strong advantage in relation to climatic hazards.

Vice-president of Loire-Atlantique, second department in terms of wetlands.

The contract also provides support for changes in agricultural systems, monitoring before and after work as well as physico-chemical monitoring to measure pollution levels.

Union, Region, Department, State… All recalled during the signing the importance of protecting the quality of water, a resource which is “a common good”, by developing “nature-based solutions”.

“We need to correct what has been done wrong for 40-50 years

“We need to correct what has been done poorly for 40-50 years, by working on morphology, hydrology, planning. If we invest so much money (Editor’s note: 42 million euros for the Region), it is so as not to undo tomorrow what was done today.

Corrections will take time.

Especially since actions on the ground are carried out on a voluntary basis.

“We base ourselves on regulatory constraints. If an owner refuses, we cannot act. We have no means of intervention,” recognizes Syloa, who must use consultation to put this contract into music.

* Other funders are the Pays de la Loire region with €395,361, the Loire-Atlantique Department (€171,190) and the Maine-st-Loire Department (€25,860).

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