Justice suspends the authorization of four water reserves, including the Sainte-Soline megabasin

In a new development, the Bordeaux administrative court of appeal ruled illegal, Wednesday December 18, the authorizations issued to four irrigation reserves in Poitou, including that of Sainte-Soline (Deux-Sèvres), because they threaten the survival of a protected bird species, the little bustard.

Around ten environmental associations had attacked the authorizations issued by the State to build and operate sixteen water reservoirs for agricultural use in the Marais Poitevin, called “basins” by opponents, including that of Sainte-Soline which has crystallized opposition since a violent demonstration around the construction site in March 2023.

For the courtyard, four of the sixteen basins of the project are “likely to destroy all or part of the habitat” of a protected lowland bird species. In these four zones, including that located in Sainte-Soline, “the authorization issued is illegal due to lack of provision for a “protected species” exemption”concluded the court.

Looking forward to “the possible issuance of this exemption”it therefore suspended construction starts and future water filling of the four structures. “Stored water” on the decision date in the Sainte-Soline reserve, the only one of the four whose construction has been completed, will nevertheless be able to be used this summer “by connected farmers”without however “give rise to a new filling”the court said.

The applicants – Nature Environnement 17, the League for the Protection of Birds and the Fishermen’s Federations -, rejected at first instance in Poitiers, also criticized the project of so-called “substitute” reserves, which are filled in the winter by pumping into aquifers in order to be able to irrigate in summer, harming the balance of water resources. The court rejected these accusations, considering that “the administration has conditioned the filling level of the reserves on compliance with relevant thresholds set with regard to the level of the water table” and that the project “don’t misunderstand[ssait] not the principle of balanced and sustainable water management”.