PNR de Camargue - The sea dyke – some profound implications

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Water management: a serious matter

The sea dyke – some profound implications

A "pertuis" (sluice gate) at Rousty

When the sea Dyke was built, in 1859, it was equipped with a system of "pertuis", or sluice gates, for exchanges between sea and land. The pertuis of La Fourcade and Rousty are still in operation, whereas that of La Comtesse has silted up. The pertuis' function is to adjust water levels and salinity over thousands of hectares, notably in the Vaccarès étang and the "lower étangs".

The example of Vaccarès

Users concerned by the Vaccarès étang	Users' preferences	The corresponding state of the Vaccarès étang	The corresponding mode of hydrology
Local residents	No flooding of land or inhabited	A low water level	Stable
Farmers	No flooding No salt	A low water level-Fresh water	Stable
Fishermen	Movements of fish between the sea and the Lagoons	A high water level-Briny conditions
Reed harvesters	?	A variable water level-Fresh water	Variable
Managers of protected natural environments	Conditions as "natural" as possible	A variable water level-Variable salinity

The effect of opening a sluice gate depends on the water level and the direction of the wind:
• with a high level of water in the étangs, and a north wind, water drains away from the delta towards the sea;
• with a high sea level and a south wind, the étangs fill up and become more saline.
The sluice gates in the sea Dyke can thus be used to achieve differing results in terms of farming, fishing, nature conservation and public safety. Discussion and planning are indispensable, and the Regional Nature Park presides over an executive water commission on which all the different interest groups are represented. The operation of the sluice gates is kept under close scrutiny.

The sea dyke and Faraman lighthouse

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