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