Nearly half of France's small watercourses were dry by late September, marking the worst situation since 2012, according to the French Office for Biodiversity.
French watercourses face severe dryness
Nearly half of the small watercourses in France were dry at the end of September, according to the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), marking the most serious situation since 2012. Widespread flow interruption
The OFB reported that 49.6% of the watercourses observed had flow interruptions or were completely dry, with their beds dried out due to evaporation or water seeping into the ground. Unprecedented in 15 years
This situation is the most extreme in 15 years of monitoring, affecting 1,594 initial sections of watercourses. These sections supply 55 to 70% of the water in rivers downstream, making the impact significant. Prolonged dryness
The dryness has persisted for more than four months in the same areas, an occurrence without precedent since monitoring began. This is unusual because September typically sees stabilization or improvement after summer. Environmental consequences
The OFB warned that the scale, early occurrence, and persistence of these dry conditions indicate a high level of environmental degradation, which could have serious consequences for aquatic ecosystems. Regional impact
All regions of France are affected, with the most critical areas stretching from the Vendée to the Grand Est region. Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are experiencing worsening conditions, and no improvement is seen in already affected areas. Specific departments affected
Departments already heavily impacted at the end of August show no improvement, with some experiencing new degradation. These include the Creuse, Aveyron, Côte-d'Or, Vendée, Ardennes, Charente, Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Haute-Marne, and Nièvre departments.
