River basin management of the Ill, France

General

National Id:

France 05 light

Site name:

Ill between Colmar and Strasbourg

Summary:

Next to the Ill river in Alsace, France, a project has been initiated which combines classical flood protection (e.g. dyke construction) with natural water retention measures (e.g. riparian buffers). The project aims at reducing peak flows, increasing water storage, controling erosion and improving biodiversity. It has been initiated by the Alsace Region.

NUTS Code:

Alsace

RBD code:

FRC

Transboundary:

Data provider:

Sabine Tutte, ACTeon

Source(s):

Vers un schéma de gestion globale de l'Ill domaniale entre Colmar et Strasbourg, Synd'Ill Huttenheim

Etude diagnostic et élaboration d'un schéma de gestion globale de l'ill domaniale et ses lits mineur et majeur

Annexe 12 - Planning Schéma de gestion de l'ill 2014-2024

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

Meadows and pastures

Forest riparian buffers

Stream bed re-naturalization

Reconnection of oxbow lakes and similar features

Removal of dams and other longitudinal barriers

Longitude:

7.747882

Latitude:

48.583148

Site information

Climate zone:

cool temperate dry

Mean rainfall:

550

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

Mean runoff:

Mean runoff unit:

600 - 750 mm

Type:

Modelled/Simulated Example

Light or indepth?:

Light

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Monitoring location:

In-Stream

Administrative annual costs:

340000

Administrative annual cost information:

Installation of counting stations on fish passes.

Monitoring parameters:

Stations for counting fish are installed next to barrages and hydropower plants.

Performance

Performance impact estimation information:

No information available

Biophysical impacts

Information on retained water:

By reconnecting hydraulic annexes, installing discharge rills to flood forests and reallocation of land neighboring the river, the water retention capacity gets increased.

Information on runoff reduction:

This shall be achieved by natural bank stabilisation and deconstruction of old barrages. By purchasing land a "mobility space" for the river shall be guaranteed.

Information on Maintenance baseflow:

This shall be achieved by automatisation of barrages and optimized operation.

Information on Restoring hydraulic connections:

Connections are restored.

Water quality overall improvements:

N/A info

Information on Water quality overall improvements:

This shall be achieved by restoring 68 km of alluvial forests next to the Ill.

Soil quality overall soil improvements:

N/A info

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

This management plan combines classical flood protection measures (construction of dykes, automatisation/optimization of barrages) with NWRM. Since the plan is not fully implemented yet, it is difficult to have information on success (especially quantitative data) and monitoring. However, ecosystem services are taken into account to justify the measures.

Financing difficulties information:

Since the project is in the implementation phase, there is no sufficient information.

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
		Since the project is in the implementation phase, there is no sufficient information.

Financing:

Type	Comments
EU-funds: Rural development funds	Support of sustainable farming (crop rotation, green cover...).
Local funds	Renovation of dykes, touristic development.
Sub-national funds	Publicity, support of hydropower, touristic development.
Sub-national funds	Renovation of barrages, NWRM, Agro-environmental measures.
National funds	Support of hydropower projects.

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
		Since the project is in the implementation phase, there is no sufficient information.

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Legal obligations	main driver	The good ecological status of the Ill has to be achieved.
Past flooding events	main driver	Due to regular floods in winter and spring there are severe damages on pastures and fields. Valuable agricultural land is lost (approx. 150 ha in 10 years). Agriculture is a very important economic branch with a gross margin of 16 million €
Public pressure	main driver	Flood protection is partly missing for entire villages (Kogenheim 1000 inhabitants). Dykes have weak points and need to be renovated.
Balancing different objectives	secondary driver	Water and terrestrial hiking pathways are missing. Barrages are not passable, and dangerous due to a lack of signalisation. Fishing associations wish a better accessibility to the river.

Financing share:

Share type	Share	Comments
		Cannot be said at the moment. The financing partners listed above are potential sources for financing.

Socio-economic

Direct benefits information:

During the project the tourism branch is supported by improved water/ terrestrial trekking ways, better recreational spaces (bivouacs, camping, hotel restaurant access).

Ancillary benefits information:

Without the management plan, 6.1 - 8 Mio € per year have to be foreseen as costs for floods.

Costs investment:

12500000

Costs investment information:

10 to 15 million Euros: plantation of forests, land acquisition, dyke renovation.

Costs operation maintenance:

No data available

Costs total:

25500000

Costs total information:

19 to 32 million Euros: Next to NWRMs, construction costs for dykes and improvement of barrages and facilities appear. Moreover, the touristic branch is supported by several projects, and hydropower is encouraged as well.

Compensations annual:

2000000

Compensations annual information:

Support of farmers by agro-environmental measures (encouragement of green cover, pastures, meadows, crop rotation).

Compensations scheme information:

The agricultural compensations made in the context of EU CAP Pillar 2.

Economic costs additional:

300000

Information on Economic costs additional:

Total costs for publicity

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Control campaigns for Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed; plantation of alluvial forests (high species diversity due to diverse habitats).

Information on Ecosystem provisioning services:

Better efficiency of hydropower plants due to improved sediment balance.

Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

No information available

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description:

The flood protection of commuities and fields is partly unsufficient. Due to erosion there is a remarkable loss of usable agricultural surface. Barrages and hydropower plants disturb the sediment transport of the river and are not passable for fish and boats. A natural alluvial forest is often missing and shall be restored for water quality improvement and fight against invasive species.

Quantified objectives:

The flood protection for some communities is missing, barrages and hydropower plants are not passable for fish and boats. The mobility of the river shall be preserved without encouraging further erosion. Therefore a land allocation process starts, alluvial forests are planted (68 km) and where possible barrages and bank stabilisations are deconstructed. Moreover, 15 hydraulic annexes are reconnected to the river in order to improve water storage capacity and solve water distribution problems. A discharge rill is constructed to the forest near Colmar in order to inundate the wood during flood events and protect fields and communities.

Part of wider plan:

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Peak-flow reduction
Increase Water Storage
Erosion Control
Improved Biodiversity
Oher Societal Benefits

Design & implementations

Application scale:

River

Performance timescale:

Immediate

Area (ha):

12000

Constraints:

Partly dams have to be constructed or reinforced, otherwise the risk of severe inundation would not be justifiable. In order to maintain the natural mobility of the river, land of farmers has to be reallocated.

Contractural arrangements:

Design contractual arrangement:

Arrangement type	Role	Responsibility	Name	Comments
				The project has to pass the autorisation steps of the French Water Law. Moreover it has to be proven that the project is of public utility and of public interest in order to mobilize national funds

Design consultation activity:

Activity stage	Name	Key issues	Comments
Implementation phase	Guide "rights and duties of riparians"	This is foreseen in project planning in order to educate the public.

Design land use change:

Design authority:

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
Other	Initiation of the measure	Region of Alsace	Next to the initiation of the measures, the region is also responsible for financing
Local water authority	Financing	AERM (Agence de l'eau Rhin-Meuse)	one of the main project financers
Other	Financing	Conseils Généraux du Bas et Haut Rhin	touristic development
Other	Financing	ADEME (Environment and Energy Agency)	Financial support of hydropower projects (deconstruction off barrages, installation of fish passes...)
Other	Other	communes	Maintenance/ development of touristic activities and communal hydropower stations
		syndicats
		communes

Last updated: 01 Jan 2015 | Top

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River basin management of the Ill, France

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