It is of the nature of a delta to have an ever-changing coastline, on the one hand built up out of river-borne sediment, and on the other hand eaten away by the sea. In the Dyked area of the Camargue, the sea has gained the upper hand, in part because the amount of silt transported by the Rhône has fallen. This is due both to the reforestation of the riverbanks and to the fact that the sediment is retained by upstream barrages, which means that it is no longer deposited outside the river's two arms. Furthermore, incursions by the sea are increasing, due to the rising level of the Mediterranean itself, but also as a result of subsidence. Erosion has been most severe around the sandy spits of Beauduc and L'Espiguette. Protecting the coastline of the Camargue, and particularly its infrastructure – the village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the Dyke at Salin-de-Giraud, the sea Dyke – is a costly business, requiring the maintenance of existing Dykes and groynes, and the construction of new ones. Where the problem is less acute, however, "Ganivelles" (palisades of chestnut-wood slats) can be used to stabilise the sand and vegetation of the dunes against the effects of erosion.
The sea dyke and lighthouse at La Gacholle
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