Mise à jour le 13 January 2022

Characterisation and restoration of river basin headwaters

Actions on watersheds

Background

River basin headwaters have a number of specific features: small, often intermittent watercourses with low specific power, numerous wetlands, etc. These areas are essential for the proper functioning of aquatic environments, biodiversity, the water resource, the physical and chemical quality, the input of fine and coarse sediments and their transfer downstream. They are however particularly at risk of diffuse pollution and hydraulic infrastructure work. The Loire Bretagne RBMP 2016-2021 provides that the organisations delivering a local RBMP will carry out an inventory of river basin headwaters, analyse their characteristics and rank them according to their status and the pressure exerted on them, with a view to their preservation and restoration. The LIFE action follow-on from this approach.

Schedule & Location

1st quarter 2021 / 4th quarter 2027
The three pilot areas will be selected in 2021 on the Pays de la Loire part of the Vilaine RBMP area (possible river basins: Isac, Don, Chère, Semnon, Seiche, upstream Vilaine, downstream Vilaine (UGVA), Cap Atlantique).

Objective

The objectives are:
• To create a tool kit for diagnostic, preservation and restoration methods applicable to river basin headwaters
• To test the tool kit on 3 pilot sites according to an integrated approach discussed with the stakeholders in the area studied.
• To raise awareness among the general public: empower inhabitants, residents, and farmers  in their lives and activities by offering them technical solutions to improve the quality of the environments in order to achieve  the WFD targets.

Description of the action

This action is broken down into several sections:

1- Launch of the call for expression of interest from inhabitants, residents and farmers

Three pilot river basin headwaters (average unit surface area of 1.5 km²) will be selected in the part of the Vilaine river basin located  in Pays de la Loire Region.

2- Study of the pilot river basin headwaters selected and works

It may involve work to return watercourses to their natural state, to plant hedgerows etc. An official tool kit will be devised.

3- Evaluation and promotion  of the approach

The results will be widely disseminated.

Main results expected

Creation of a river basin headwater tool kit.

Definition of three action programmes on three river basin headwaters and works

All river basin actions
All the actions