From year to year, the situation repeats itself, or even deteriorates due to climate change. The torrent, bursting its banks, flooded the parking lot and part of the access road to Pré de Mme Carle, starting point for high mountain expeditions, in the heart of the Ecrins massif. The coming snowmelt should further increase the level of watercourses.
“It’s an event that we haven’t had this low before and, until now, people were able to access the parking lot. In previous years, the phenomenon occurred higher up, taking away footbridges”notes the mayor of Vallouise-Pelvoux, Gaëlle Moreau.
“What used to happen once every 5/6 years now happens every year. The supply of materials from the torrent has become increasingly important over the past ten years. All containment and extraction work is doomed to failure”adds Cyrille Drujon d’Astros, president of the Community of Communes of Pays des Ecrins.
Towards more sustainable developments
A field visit was organized on Friday May 31 with all the partners concerned: the Town Hall of Vallouise-Pelvoux, the Community of Communes of Pays des Ecrins, the sub-prefecture of Briançon, the RTM service (Restoration of mountain land), the DDT (Departmental Territorial Directorate), water and risk services, the Department and the Écrins National Park. This multiplicity of actors involved in the management of the site does not facilitate responsiveness and decision making.
As the summer season approaches, it has been approved that carry out emergency work this week, carried out by Environnement TP, consisting of returning the torrent to its bed, drying the parking lot and the departmental road. After which, the site will be cleared of snow and rehabilitated in light of any damage discovered. The presence of snow still hides the parts damaged by the violent bad weather last autumn and winter.
The speakers also agreed to begin a reflection aimed at finding lasting solutions for access to the site, the emergency works proving insufficient and not guaranteeing their holding over a full season. “ Maintaining 300 or 400 places on site is impossible, restricting torrenting is no longer a technical possibility”reasons Cyrille Drujon of Astros.
For Gaëlle Moreau, we need to think, and quickly, to be able to offer a passable and secure site from next year. Restrict parking capacity, create another elsewhere, set up shuttles, force vehicles to stop lower to deal with the new topography of the site are all avenues under study. “ We need to look at what is feasible and most financially sustainable.”summarizes the mayor of Vallouise-Pelvoux.
