France is facing an extreme drought impacting rivers nationwide, with 99 out of 101 departments under water restrictions and a state of emergency declared in 58 of them, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition. Along the Odet River in Brittany, fisher Mathieu Le Bouter and a dozen volunteers are catching hundreds of trout and young salmon to transfer them to oxygenated water tanks and release them downstream where tributaries raise water levels.
The Impact of Extreme Heat on French Rivers
The state of France’s waterways provides a worrying insight into the impact of extreme heat supercharged by the climate crisis, running parallel to widespread forest fires. According to the national low water observatory, 16% of French rivers were reported to have dried up two weeks ago, with a quarter of small streams stagnant or completely disappeared. The Ministry for Ecological Transition noted that almost a third of river monitoring stations recorded their lowest levels in 20 years, alongside a rise in fish deaths linked to elevated water temperatures.
Critical Water Levels on the Loire and Seine
France’s longest river, the Loire, sits at a historical low. The flow of some branches, including through Orléans, has been reduced to a trickle between exposed sandbanks. Further west, the Dive River at Rom in the Deux-Sèvres department is dry, while only a dusty bed remains of the Mignon further north. Normally at this time of year, water levels would measure between 40cm and 70cm, according to field observations.
In Paris, the Seine is on life support, as reported by Le Monde. Half of the river’s flow is being drawn from reservoir lakes upstream and its tributaries in Champagne and Burgundy—a measure typically unnecessary for another month. In Vernon, Normandy, the flow of the Seine dropped from an average of 200 cubic metres per second in July of last year to 110 cubic metres per second.
Emergency Fish Rescues in Brittany
Near the source of the Odet River in the Black Mountains of Finistère, water is barely up to fisher’s knees. Mathieu Le Bouter, speaking for the Finistère fishing federation, described the situation as catastrophic and far worse than initially anticipated. High water temperatures combined with low dissolved oxygen levels create lethal conditions for fish, particularly trout and young salmon that rely on currents and oxygen.
Did you know?
The Odet and nearby Isole River serve as crucial spawning grounds where Atlantic salmon develop before migrating to the ocean. While summer drops are normal, water levels have never receded this early in the season, creating a suffocating environment as filamentous algae replaces dying aquatic vegetation.
Agricultural Water Extraction and Policy Concerns
An emergency agriculture bill passed by the French parliament facilitates the construction of water storage tanks for crop irrigation and livestock farms. This legislation has sparked concerns over the equitable sharing of water resources and fears that farmers are being prioritized over conservation efforts.
Claude Roustan, president of the national fishing federation, stated that rivers suffer not just from drought and climate change, but from the excessive extraction of water to irrigate scorched crops. Roustan added that the agriculture bill runs counter to ongoing conservation work, leaving fishing federations acting as first responders on the front lines of observation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are French rivers drying up so severely?
Despite a rainy winter that caused flooding, sweltering summer heatwaves and low rainfall since April have created an extreme drought that is sucking rivers across Europe dry, according to official reports.
Which rivers are most affected by the drought in France?
The Loire is at a historical low with branches reduced to trickles, the Seine is operating on life support through upstream reservoir releases, and smaller waterways like the Dive and the Mignon have dried up completely.
What is being done to save aquatic life?
Volunteers and fishing federations, such as Mathieu Le Bouter’s team on the Odet River, are physically catching trout and young salmon and relocating them to oxygenated tanks before releasing them 10 to 12 miles downstream where tributaries raise water levels.
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