The lake of Naussac spans 10.8 square kilometers in the Lozère department of southeastern France and floods the streets of a village. Its construction between 1976 and 1980 submerged the old village of Naussac and led to significant opposition. The reservoir, capable of holding 185 million cubic meters of water, was designed to support the Allier and Loire rivers during periods of low flow in summer. Water released from the lake takes six days to reach the nuclear power plant in Belleville, located in the Cher department. The construction of the dam submerged the village of Naussac and 50 agricultural operations between 1976 and 1980. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people mobilized in August 1977 against the destruction of the village, according to Wikipedia, though the exact number of demonstrators remains somewhat uncertain. The project, initially proposed by the French electricity company EDF in the early 1950s, was revived in 1968 by the Loire-Brittany Water Agency. The aim was to create a reservoir of about 190 million cubic meters in Lozère to ensure a more consistent flow for the Loire River. The dam is built on the Donozau, a tributary of the Allier River. Work began on October 1, 1976, just under eight months after the declaration of public utility on February 6, 1976. Despite protests from residents and farmers, the dam was completed in 1980. The area chosen for the reservoir had previously supported 800 cattle and 1,000 sheep through 50 agricultural operations. Farmers from the Naussac Valley Defense Committee opposed the project from the beginning. The lake was officially put into service in 1983 and serves a specific purpose: maintaining a minimum flow in the Allier and Loire rivers to support irrigation, drinking water, nuclear power plant cooling, and natural ecosystems. The lake is supplied by 50% from a diversion of the Chapeauroux River, 40% by pumping from the Allier, and 10% by pumping from the Donozau. During low flow periods, daily release instructions are sent from Orléans by the Loire Public Establishment and transmitted to the dams. These instructions consider the time it takes for water to travel downstream and forecast natural flows for the next six days. In recent years, the lake has faced challenges due to drought. In the summer of 2022, it was at only 30% of its normal capacity, and by autumn 2023, it had dropped to 25%. In October 2023, the prefect of Lozère authorized the Loire Public Establishment to reduce the guaranteed average flow of the Allier River at Vieille-Brioude from 6 to 5 cubic meters per second. This measure was set to be lifted by December 31, 2023, to ensure the long-term viability of the river's flow, which is critical for the drinking water supply of many communities in western Haute-Loire.