the essential
The presence of beaver dams on the Steinbechlein River (Haut-Rhin) exasperates farmers whose fields find themselves flooded. The amount of damage amounts, according to their estimates, to several thousand euros.
Thousands of euros in agricultural losses due to… beavers. The rodent, present for around forty years on Alsatian territory, has become the nightmare of farmers who are demanding a concrete solution from the government.
With his plots flooded for several weeks, Henry Perroy, farmer in Morschwiller-le-Bas (Haut-Rhin), is not getting angry. As he explains to BFMTV, the farmer had to buy fishing boots to be able to move around his fields. This year, he fears losing his harvest.
Those responsible for its disarray: beaver “nests” built on the banks of the Steinbechlein river. Dams prevent the river from flowing. With the consequence, the flooding of its lands.
Measures for better cohabitation
“For us, it’s our income, it’s our livelihood, we live from these productions, obviously we have nothing against beavers, we are very happy that there are beavers, we are for biodiversity” , justifies Henry Perroy. The operator points out the lack of solutions proposed.
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The beaver, a discreet ally of the environment, returns to French rivers
In previous years, swales (shallow vegetated ditches) were installed to manage the flow of the watercourse. But over time, they got bogged down.
Contacted at the start of the floods in October, the authorities have so far not taken any action to stem the phenomenon. Farmers affected by the floods are hoping for measures after the meeting held on Tuesday December 17 between operators, an environmental protection association and the state.
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