The Etablissement Public d’Aménagement et de Gestion de l’Eau Loire-Lignon (EPAGE - public establishment for water development and management of Loire-Lignon) was created on 1 January 2020. It brings together the 12 inter-municipalities of the upstream Loire river basin (13 members and 4 agreements) to ensure the GEMAPI (aquatic environment management and flood prevention) competence. It insures a twofold mission of general interest: sustainable river basin management and a springboard to employment through its river intervention teams.
Its area of intervention is the Loire river basin and its tributaries from its sources in Mont Gerbier de Jonc (Ardèche) to its entry into the reservoir of the Grangent dam.
Its missions are:
- preservation and restoration of aquatic environments
- flood prevention
- preservation of water quality and biodiversity
- territorial coordination and awareness-raising
- social integration.
The EPAGE Loire-Lignon is involved in contractual procedures such as Territorial Contracts or project management, assistance to studies, diagnosis and advice
Website: https://www.epageloirelignon.fr/
Experience sheet on climate change adaptation and water resources management (FR)
TERRITORY
- Surface area: 3 600 km²
- River bassin district: Loire-Bretagne
- Number of SAGE supported: 1
- SAGE involved in the LIFE Eau&Climat project: SAGE Lignon du Velay
- Other management tools concerned by the project:
- Territorial Contracts, Green and Blue Contracts
- Natura 2000 site
- The territory’s issues concerning the climate change:
- preservation of headwater wetlands
- water warming (survival of freshwater species / water quality)
- biodiversity, presence of heritage species
- drinking water supply
- resilience of agricultural holdings
CONTRIBUTION AT THE LIFE EAU&CLIMAT PROJECT
The EPAGE Loire-Lignon is particularly involved in the following actions:
- Development and validation of decision support tools -> making recommendations for tools developed
- Mobilization of local actors -> implementation of information sessions on climate change and its impacts on water resources. The EPAGE led a workshop on water and climate change on the occasion of World Water Day (22 March 2022 and 21 March 2023) at the Georges SAND agricultural college in Yssingeaux (43). Climate murals and workshops on water were organised during summer events in Saint-Jeures and Saint-Romain-Lachalm (43), on 29 July and 5 August 2022, as well as a round table on "Water and Climate Change" during the Lignon and Nature Festival on 2 July 2022 in Fay-sur-Lignon (43). During the next Lignon festival in Tence (43) on 2 July 2023, an escape game will be run by the EPAGE, and an educational trail on aquatic environments will be inaugurated.
- Facilitating access to hydro-climatic data -> specification of data and indicator needs, installation of water level gauges and low water markers, installation of temperature sensors continuously recording water temperature with associated explanatory panels and provision of data. The LIFE Water&Climate project has enabled the installation of 10 temperature probes in 2021 and the forthcoming installation of 5 new low-water markers. The data collected will make it possible to monitor low-water periods in real time, but also to alert local stakeholders to the challenges of water resource management. Citizens' observations will be able to complete the monitoring of low water levels carried out by the EPAGE and the data will be shared on the Lignon observatory.
- Strengthen exchanges between researchers and managers -> conducting a study on the hydrological functioning during low-water periods for some sub-watersheds and on the assessment of the impact of abstractions on water resources and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems ; proposal of quantitative management objectives to ensure a balance between aquatic environments and human uses. The study, known as "HMUC" (Hydrology, Environment, Use and Climate), has been under way since the end of 2021 in the area covered by the Loire and Vellaves Tributaries Contract.