Drought: in Toulouse, the Garonne has never been so low for 30 years
The releases of water from the Pyrenean lakes to support the low water level of the Garonne have never been so important and early. And it’s not over. The worst may be ahead of us…
The sun is merciless and the Garonne, our nourishing river, sticks out its tongue. In this year of heat wave, it was even necessary to organize very early, from July 9, the resupply of water to the river from the Pyrenean hydroelectric lakes managed by EDF and located between 1,500 and 1,900 m in altitude.
This support for low water levels managed by the Joint Syndicate for Studies and Development of the Garonne (SMEAG), in consultation with the prefecture, is more than vital to preserve the proper functioning of aquatic environments and avoid conflicts of use. around a resource that has become scarce. “This exceptional effort, never encountered in 30 years of existence of the low water level support, testifies to the intensity of the drought that we are experiencing”, we explain to the prefecture.
Vital water releases
A volume of 39 million cubic meters of water, more than half of the stock, has already been released from the Ariège river to join the Garonne upstream of Toulouse. Knowing that it costs 5 million euros, in the event of destocking of all the available volumes.
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These releases made it possible to delay the prefectural measures of restrictions, thus safeguarding an entire economy dependent on the water of the river, from the Pyrenees to the estuary of the Gironde. The cooperation contract, signed between the SMEAG, the State, EDF and the Water Agency, which has just been renewed until 2024 with new means, guarantees the possibility of benefiting from a third of the volume in addition as well as a doubling of the intervention flow at the height of the low water level. Without these releases of water, which represent up to 40% of the water in the crossing of Toulouse, bans on withdrawals would have been ordered by the prefects since mid-July and total bans in early August downstream of the river.
Today, these withdrawals from the waterways of the Garonne basin are closely monitored. For professionals, a strengthening of restrictions came into effect on Thursday August 18 with a ban on sampling two days a week on the majority of the Garonne, due to low flows. Upstream of the Valentine station, the ban is one day a week on the Garonne.
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On a day-to-day basis, the restrictions still relate to the ban on washing vehicles outside professional stations, the ban on the filling of private swimming pools and the watering of lawns, public and private green spaces, pleasure gardens and sports field. The watering of the vegetable gardens is maintained after 8 p.m.
Not enough rain
The rains of the current week, if they make it possible to support the volumes of water proposed, could make it possible to support the drop in low water level support to preserve stocks over time. But the strategic committee, piloted at the prefecture, has already anticipated and decided to adjust the strategy of water releases to avoid premature depletion of water resources, possible around mid-September at the current rate of low water level support. .
To guarantee the safety of vital activities in the Garonne and in particular the supply of drinking water, it was decided to keep one million cubic meters in solidarity with the Neste-Gascogne sub-basin which is encountering a particularly difficult low water level.
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“This exceptional situation requires the effort and vigilance of all, underlines the prefecture. We have to save every drop of water, because there are two and a half months of low water season left and it is in September-October that the situation is likely to be the most tense”. We have been warned. The worst may be yet to come…