The basin board’s role is to ensure balanced sustainable management of the water resource, and preservation and restoration of good morphological and ecological status of watercourses and aquatic environments. Since 1 January 2019, the Authion river basin board is also responsible for facilitation, coordination, implementation and monitoring of the Authion Local River Basin Management Plan (RBMP). The Authion RBMP focuses on 5 issues, each broken down into resources and actions:
- Overall management of the resource to ensure the sustainability of all uses
- Protecting and restoring the morphology of watercourses and wetlands in the area
- Improving the quality of groundwater and surface water
- Preventing the risk of flooding in the Val d’Authion area
- Facilitating, raising awareness and implementing the RBMP’s actions
Since its creation, and through transmission of the missions of the former watercourse boards, the Authion board has led and implemented a certain number of contracts and agreements, to reach the objectives set out in the RBMP:
- territorial contracts (Authion, Changeon-Lane, Couasnon and Lathan sub-river basins) with the LB Water Agency
- A Regional River Basin Agreement 2018-2020 with the Pays de la Loire Regional council
- 3 calls for projects on the subject of biodiversity, supported by stakeholders (ONF (French national forests office), district councils, CPIE (permanent centre for environmental initiatives), PNR (regional natural parks) with the LB Water Agency
- A Territorial Water Contract: the Authion 2020-2025 Territorial Water Contract with the LB Water Agency and the Centre Val de Loire and Pays de la Loire Regional councils. This unique contract which covers multiple themes and involves multiple contracting authorities, was signed in September 2020 and is coordinated and led by the Authion board, with the participation of numerous stakeholders in the area (local authorities, agricultural professionals, industries, institutional stakeholders, not-for-profit organisations etc.). It broadens the scope of actions rolled out in the area to meet the challenges identified in the local RBMP: quantitative and qualitative management of underground and surface water resources, preservation and restoration of aquatic environments and wetlands while raising the public’s, stakeholders’ and users’ awareness to challenges, objectives and actions.
In light of its experience and of the challenge related to quantitative management in the area, the Authion board became involved in the LIFE REVERS’EAU project, through the dynamic management of drainage systems to therefore contribute to improving groundwater replenishment in winter (provision 4.B.2 of the local RBMP sustainable management and development plan “Reserving buffer zones to limit the effects of drainage”) and to improving low water flows (C9 action).
Discover the action led by the Authion basin board
