Monday April 29, an important discussion meeting was held at the Moulin des Jalles, in Castelnau-de-Médoc, mobilizing residents and local stakeholders around a crucial subject: the recent floods which hit the town. Under the leadership of the mayor, Éric Arrigoni, several interventions shed light on the measures taken and future measures to face this challenge.
Since the 100-year flood of 2020, the Joint Syndicate of the Jalles du Cartillon and Castelnau watershed, as well as the Castelnaudaise municipality, have hired various consultancy firms specializing in risk management.
The conclusions of these studies made it possible to refine knowledge of the risk of flooding and to propose a management strategy structured around six major axes: the management of marine submersions, the regulation of construction in flood zones, the proposal for water basins. retention upstream (not retained), the establishment of individual protections, the updating of municipal protection plans and the restoration of the natural functionalities of the watercourses upstream of the basin.
What funding?
The speakers’ statements highlighted the magnitude of the task ahead. The Joint Watershed Union, representing approximately 230 km of watercourses and bringing together two communities of municipalities, Médoc Estuaire and Médullienne, presented its initiatives.
Several episodes of flooding took place during this last winter.
Danielle Monge
Among these, the renaturation of the Jalle de Tiquetorte to re-establish the connection between the upstream part of the watershed and the marsh, as well as reclamation work on wetlands to “release the water” and thus limit flooding.
Claude Ganelon, president of the Joint Syndicate, underlined realistically: “We will never prevent the flooding of certain houses in Castelnau”. However, concrete measures are currently being discussed, in particular the release of funds of around 2.5 million euros, subject to validation at the next union meeting on May 14.
Climate change
As for the municipality of Castelnau-de-Médoc, a series of action plans have been deployed to combat flooding. The integration of the risk of flooding into the municipal protection plan then urbanization, particularly for new constructions.
Targeted interventions with local residents are also planned, with the agreement of the owners, including visits to properties before the summer, with experts to assess the vulnerability of the most affected homes and consider risk reduction measures. Each administrator can therefore request it from the town hall.
As Éric Arrigoni, mayor of Castelnau-de-Médoc, points out: “The climate is changing, we will have to adapt to it. Extreme weather events like the heavy rains we experienced this winter are becoming more and more frequent. We must rethink our approach and take measures to preserve our environment, ensure the safety of our fellow citizens and adapt our territory.”
