etangs & marais des salins de camargue -...
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www.mc-salt.eu
Etangs & marais des salins de
Camargue
LIFE+ MC-SALT Workshop
Comacchio, Italy, 11 May 2015
Parc naturel régional de Camargue
& Fondation Tour du Valat
Project area & project progress
Situation of Etangs & marais des salins de
Camargue Etangs & marais des salins de Camargue (6527 ha)
Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Camargue (13200 ha)
SALINS DU MIDI Co. to Conservatoire du littoral land sale agreement (c.1100 ha) cancelled (end 2013)
Domaine Public Maritime at Beauduc targeted by LIFE MC-SALT
SALINS DU MIDI Co. Salt works at Salin-de-Giraud
A site only recently converted for salt production
1944
1994
Site converted for salt
production from the 1950’s
Dykes constructions
Isolation from surrounding
drainage basins
Use of water pumping to
control water levels and salinity
Many physical &
environmental changes
Maps from
Sadoul (1996)
Etangs & marais des salins
de Camargue
Dunes and islets
Beach, Salicornia scrubs, mudflats
Lagoons, pre-concentrations areas
Salt harvesting areas
Dikes
Evolution of the coastline in the
last 60 years (1942 – 2012)
1942
1970
1998
2012
SNPN –Réserve Nationale de Camargue, 2012
Extension : + 950 m
in 60 years (average
13,5 m/year).
Retreat : - 435 m in 60 years
(average -6,2 m/year)
Salt production stopped since the
acquisition by Conservatoire du Littoral
(from 2010)
• Removal of
pumping stations by
SALINS company P
hoto
s P
arc
de C
am
arg
ue
Before
After
• Propagation of dikes breaches on sea front…
Dikes breaches
Since the acquisition by Conservatoire du
Littoral (from 2010)
… and inside the saline
As a consequence of coastal erosion :
Photo
Parc
de C
am
arg
ue
Photo
J. Jalb
ert
Water inpoundment & water drainage become strictly gravitational
Water levels are less strictly controlled
Since the acquisition by Conservatoire
du Littoral (from 2010)
Rapid environmental changes, most of them positive for the biodiversity
However, several coastal
lagoons are still separated
by dykes, silted / sanded
channels or narrow
hydraulic structures
Topo-bathymetric data : SALINS
Digitization : PARC DE CAMARGUE
Lagoons disconnection
during long periods of low
water levels
Salinity increases in the
most confined lagoons during
summer
Goal 1 : Restore a hydrological and biological continuity
between Vaccarès lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea, through
the lagoons of Etangs & Marais des Salins de Camargue
Vaccarès
lagoon
Etangs &
marais des
salins de
Camargue Widgeongrass (Ruppia cirrhosa)
European Eel
(Anguilla anguilla)
Valves restoration
New valve with higher
capacity
Valves reinstatement
Channel dredging
Channel dredging
dike leveling
Planned
hydraulic works
Progress of hydraulic works
On-going hydraulic works (to be finished in september 2015)
Delayed by :
- Rapid changes on site, including unplanned changes (dikes
breaches) in 2012 and 2013, which means hydraulic plans had to
be adapted
- Hydraulic works plans were modified after SALINS Company
decided in 2013 not to sale a further 1100 ha to Conservatoire du
littoral
- First call for tender for hydraulic works launched in May 2014
was unsuccessful (but 2nd call launched in August 2014 was
successful)
- high rainfalls from november 2014 until March 2015
Progress of hydraulic works
Hydraulic reconnection between Vaccarès lagoon
and former salt works completed
Before After (March 2015)
Progress of hydraulic works
Hydraulic reconnection between Galabert lagoon and
Fangassier lagoon started in April 2015, on-going
Goal 2 : Restoration of Mediterranean
halophilous scrubs (1420) and Salicornia and
other annual plants (1310)
Annual Salicornia
recolonisation at Briscon in
2013
Enfores de la
Vignolle
Pèbre
Briscon
Potential for
restoration north
of the sea dyke =
330 ha
Restoration of
channel banks
Goal 2 : Restoration of Mediterranean halophilous scrubs
(1420) and Salicornia and other annual plants (1310)
Works nearly
finished, but
currently stopped to
avoid disturbance of
colonial waterbirds
breeding nearby
Goal 3 : Improve breeding conditions
for avocets, terns & gulls
Construction of breeding islet
Fencing of beach area for breeding Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)
Breeding islet construction for avocets, terns & gulls
completed in November 2014
Protection of Little terns (Sterna albifrons)
colonies at beaches completed
- 8 ha enclosure for breeding colonies (april 2013
+ maintenance works in april 2014 and 2015).
- infrastructures to control vehicle circulation
(completed May 2013).
- reglementary protection with prefectoral order
(september 2013).
Goal 4 : Maintain suitable breeding conditions
for Greater Flamingoes
3 options of breeding islet studied
Option 2 was decided
1
2
3
Construction of a new breeding islet
Works expected to start in november 2014, but
delayed because of important rainfall
Construction works not possible in spring,
because flamingoes are currently breeding at the old
islet located nearby
Construction works expected to start in July 2015
• Nesting Little Terns on beaches :
- 2013 : first breeding for 5 years, with up to 12
breeding pairs (but low breeding success)
- 2014 : 3 breeding pairs but abandonment of the nest
with disturbance and predation
- wardening and monitoring continue in 2015
Post-works monitoring
Post-works monitoring
Larus genei Larus melanocephalus Sterna hirundo Recurvirostra avosetta
Breeding islet : Encouraging results, with several species currently
attempting to breed
Post-works monitoring
Just started :
• monitoring of coastal lagoons habitats using benthic invertebrates and plankton as biotic descriptors.
• monitoring of other coastal habitats
• census of Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis) colonies
Local communication actions
- Publication of a LIFE MC SALT program presentation leaflet in july 2012 (2000 ex),
targeting local populations & institutions
- Publication of information about LIFE MC SALT in local NATURA 2000 Newsletter
- Production of information signs to raise awareness on sensitivity of Little Tern colonies
- 2 exhibition boards presenting LIFE+ MC-SALT
- Information boards « sensitive area » (installed in 2013) and « conservation works »
(summer 2014)
- Communication through media during project workshop in the Camargue (19-21 mai
2014)
Networking with other LIFE
projects
• Organization of a study trip for Game and
Fauna Service from Cyprus (project
LIFE10NATCY000716
(www.orokliniproject.org), october 2014
• Presentation of Camargue's former
saltworks including actions implemented in
LIFE10NATIT256, during Eurosite's
workshop on adaptation to climate change
held in Montpellier, France, december 2014.
Thank you for your attention