L’Angoustrine en Cerdagne dans les Pyrénées Orientales

• Main Authors: Marie-Jeanne Valony, Jacques Feraud, Sylvain Lanau
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Université Lille 1 2015-03-01
• Series: Territoire en Mouvement
• Subjects: Angoustrine River; transboundary basin; water management; water rights; european water framework directive
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/tem/2822

The Segre River, a tributary of the Ebro River, begins in French Cerdanya. It receives tributaries including the Angoustrine River the Canal International for irrigating lands of Llivia -Spanish enclave - and the canal Plandail leave from the Angoustrine River. The Canal International is shared between Llivia and the French village Angoustrine, with a water right of 76 l / s. In Mediterranean rivers, the annual average flow is high because of the autumn floods and snowmelt, but summer low flows are severe. In 2007, the flow of the Angoustrine was low; all the water was captured for irrigation. A statement of offence was written out. It is alleged that the ASA have restored only 0.9 l / s while the theoretical flow is 36l / s. For 2014, the Law on Water and Aquatic Environments of 30th December 2006 established the minimum flow at 1/10th of the module that is 140 l / s. The border river agreement signed in 2008 chose the Angoustrine basin as a pilot sector for a study on water resources. This is to provide a comprehensive resource management with recommendations to optimize the irrigation system and to assess the impact of the canals on the landscape. In this contract it is clearly announced that the sustainable management of water in the transboundary basin cannot be done otherwise than in a shared vision of water resources between French and Spanish users. A mid-term assessment of the contract shows an advance on the qualitative measures but few advances on the quantitative side. The contract allowed the French and Spanish institutions to get acquainted and to compare their expertise in water management. Alternative technical solutions to be in conformity were discussed. International Commissions have been reactivated but a new negotiation of old water rights between France and Spain has not occurred. Four years of the contract were not enough to find satisfactory alternatives for the two countries.