WATER4LIFE&

WEALTH IN OUR COUNTRYFRANCE/RHÔNE-ALPES

SIMON LARVOR

&

ANTHONY MASON

OUTLINE

PART 1: WATER IN FRANCE AND IN RHONE-ALPES

A. MAP OF RIVERS

B. MAP OF LAKES AND PONDS

C. LEVEL OF RAINFALL IN A YEAR

D. GLACIERS AND THERMAL SOURCES

PART 2: USAGE OF WATER RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC

PURPOSES

A. HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS, DAMS

B. IMPORTANCE OF WATER AS TRADE AND

COMMUNICATION ROUTES

C. FISHING IN RIVERS LAKES AND SEAS

D. FRESHWATER SPRINGS

PART 1:WATER IN FRANCE AND IN RHÔNE-ALPES

FRANCE RHONE-ALPES

A. MAPS OF RIVERS

THERE ARE 525 000 KMS OF RIVERS

AND STREAMS IN FRANCE (COUNTING

STREAMS LONGER THAN 1KM).

IN THE FRANCE THERE ARE FIVE BIG

RIVERS: THE RHÔNE, THE LOIRE, THE

SEINE, THE RHIN AND THE GARONNE.

IN OUR REGION, WE HAVE THE FAMOUS

RHÔNE, AND THE ARVE WHICH COMES

FROM CHAMONIX MT BLANC.

SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.STATISTIQUES.DEVELOPPEMENT-

DURABLE.GOUV.FR/LESSENTIEL/AR/234/1108/EAUX-

SURFACE.HTML

B. MAPS OF LAKES, PONDS

THERE ARE ALMOST 34 000

FRESHWATER LAKES, PONDS,

RESERVOIR WITH DAMS, IN FRANCE.

535 OF THEM HAVE A SURFACE OVER

FIFTY HECTARES.1

IN THE RHÔNE ALPES REGION THERE

ARE LAKES SUCH AS: THE LEMAN LAKE,

THE ANNECY LAKE, LAC DU BOURGET

WHICH IS THE BIGGEST LAKE IN

FRANCE .

1. SOURCE:

HTTP://WWW.STATISTIQUES.DEVELOPPEMENT-

DURABLE.GOUV.FR/LESSENTIEL/AR/234/1108/EAU

X-SURFACE.HTML

C. LEVEL OF RAINFALLIN A YEAR

THERE IS AN AVERAGE RAINFALL OF 135CM IN THE

DEPARTMENT OF HAUTE SAVOIE IN COMPARISON THE

AVERAGE RAINFALL IN FRANCE RANGES FROM 50CM TO

200CM1

THE FRENCH TERRITORY GETS IN AVERAGE 480 KM3 OF

RAINFALL PER YEAR2

• 61 % EVAPORATES

• 16 % GOES INTO RIVERS LAKES

• 23 %INFILTRATES THE GROUND TO REPLENISH THE

UNDERGROUND WATER SUPPLIES

1 (http://pluiesextremes.meteo.fr/hauteurs-moyennes-annuelles-de-precipitations_r213.html)2 (http://www.cieau.com/les-ressources-en-eau/en-france/le-panorama-des-ressources)

D. GLACIERSAND THERMAL

SOURCES

IN THE ALPS THERE ARE SEVERAL GLACIERS

WHICH ARE SHRINKING LIKE IN CHAMONIX:

MER DE GLACE (7KM LONG GLACIER)

LE GLACIER DES BOSSONS

LE GLACIER D'ARGENTIÈRE

THERE ARE 88 THERMAL SITES IN

FRANCE. SOME OF THE ONES IN OUR

REGION ARE: AIX LES BAINS (3RD

LARGEST), EVIAN LES BAINS, SAINT

GERVAIS LES BAINS ETC.

PART 2: USAGE OF WATER RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC PURPOSES

A. HYDROPOWER IN FRANCE

• THERE ARE 465 HYDROPOWER PLANTS AND THEY

REPRESENT 16.8% OF THE FRENCH ELECTRICITY

PRODUCTION.

• MORE THAN 4,600 DAMS, NATURE AND DIVERSE

SIZE

• AND ABOUT 8500 IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

B. IMPORTANCE OF RIVERS AS TRADE AND COMMUNICATION ROUTES

• RIVERS IN FRANCE ARE USED FOR TRANSPORTATION AND AS WELL FOR TOURISM LIKE THE BATEAU MOUCHE IN PARIS, AND WHITE WATER RAFTING IN THE ARVE RIVER NEAR CHAMONIX.

• HAVING RIVERS IS A GOOD COMMUNICATION ROUTE AND IT HELPSTO AVOID HAVING TOO MUCH TRAFFIC. THIS IS THE CASE OF THE AXIS SAÔNE-RHÔNE, WHICH FLOWS THROUGH THE REGION FROMNORTH TO SOUTH, AND CONNECTS THE PLAINS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN FRANCE WITH ALPINE VALLEYS BETWEEN ITALY AND SWITZERLAND.

WITH ITS POSITIONING, THE RHONE-ALPES REGION PROVIDES A LINK BETWEEN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE, AND IT ISLARGELY OPEN TO EUROPE.

• 550 KM OF WATERWAYS INCLUDING 320 KM OF WATERWAYS LARGE BOATS ON THE RHONE AND THE SAONE IS 220 KM.

• ON LAKES, BOATS ARE USED FOR TOURISM PURPOSES ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER FROM SMALL RENTAL BOATS LIKE PEDAL BOATS TO LARGE TOURIST/RESTAURANT BOATS. ON LAKE LEMAN THERE ARE ALSO COMMUTING BOATS FROM EVIAN TO LAUSANNE FOR INSTANCE.

C. FISHING IN RIVERS, LAKES AND SEAS

• THE FACT THAT OUR REGION IS NOT NEAR THE SEA, FISHING IS NOT PRACTICAL AT A COMMERCIAL LEVEL, HOWEVER IT IS STILL PRACTICED FOR FUN AND PERSONAL USE. SO THIS IS WHY THE RHONE-ALPESREGION IS SUPPLIED WITH FISH FROMTHE FRENCH COASTS. BUT THERE ISFISHING IN THE LAKES TO CATCH POPULAR PERCHE DU LEMAN

• THERE ARE 2 000 000 FISHERMEN IN FRANCE, 400 000 IN OUR REGION, OF WHICH 57 ARE PROFESIONNAL RIVER FISHERMEN.

SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.RHONE-MEDITERRANEE.EAUFRANCE.FR/USAGES-ET-PRESSIONS/PECHE/

D. FRESH WATER STREAMS

FRESH WATER IS OFTEN USED FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

• FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT: VERY EFFECTIVE MINERALIZATIONWHICH FORMS THE BASIS FOR THE CURATIVE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT MEDICAL TREATMENTS (TO TREAT DISEASES OF STOMACH, LIVER AND INTESTINE) AND BALNEOTHERAPY(TREATMENT OF DISEASE BY BATHING).

• FOR SKIN CREAMS, SHAMPOO, AND OTHER BEAUTY TREATMENTS.

• FOR POOLS, SPAS, BATHS, OR JUST TO WASH YOURSELF.

• FOR DRINKING: SPRING WATER BOTTLES ARE VERY POPULAR IN FRANCE AND A BIG BUSINESS: THE FRENCH MINERAL WATER PRODUCTION REACHED IN 2009 1,89 BILLION EUROS1. SOME OF THE POPULAR WORLDWIDE KNOWN SPRINGS AND BRANDS ARE: EVIAN,PERRIER,VOLVIC. THERE ARE 68 RECOGNIZED MINERAL WATERS IN FRANCE. 1

• EVIAN AND THONON WATER SPRING BOTTLES ARE FROM THE RHONE-ALPESREGION.

1 (HTTP://AGRICULTURE.GOUV.FR/PRESENTATION-GENERALE-DU-SECTEUR,18833)

WATER FOR LIFE

IN SUMMARY, THE WATER RESOURCES IN

FRANCE AMOUNT TO 191 BILLION M3 PER

YEAR ( OR 3 262 M3/PERSON/YEAR). IT IS

ESTIMATED THAT THE NEEDS OF THE

COUNTRY ARE 32 BILLION M3/YEAR, SO ONLY

17% OF AVAILABLE RESSOURCES.

FURTHERMORE ONLY 8% OF THESE

RESSOURCES COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

SO FRANCE IS INDEPENDENT AND HAS A HIGH

WATER SUPPLY.

AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS PRESENTATION THE

WATER INDUSTRY IN FRANCE IS SIGNIFICANT

IN SIZE AND DIVERSE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO

PRESERVE AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS

VITAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE WHICH IS

NOW IN MOST PLACES RARE OR POLLUTED.

(SOURCE: 2013 HTTP://WWW.CIEAU.COM/LES-RESSOURCES-EN-EAU/EN-

FRANCE/LE-PANORAMA-DES-RESSOURCES)