The Herault HELP basin has been classified as an Operational HELP basin.

Basin Properties

Geographical properties:

Size of basin: 2550 km², of which 409 km² is in the département of the Gard and 2091 km² in the département of Hérault Altitude range 1550 to 0m.

Geology:

The major geological units are:

• the upstream crystalline area: granite, gneiss, and schists of the slopes of the central massifs.
• High calcareous plateaux of the median basin: Jurassic and cretaceous limestone formations over 300 metres high, frequently karstic.
• Downstream plain consists of later sedimentary formations (tertiary) limestone, marl and clay.

Mean annual precipitation : from 2000 to 600 mm

Main affluents of the River Hérault (mean rate of flow 4.5 m³/s):

• The Arre, the Vise, the Lamalou 
• The Lergue and the Peyne

Droughts: 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2003

Main floods: 1907, 1920, 1932, 1940, 1958, 1963, 1982, 1994, 1997

Demographic properties:

Total population : 150 000 inhabitants (with a heavy increase during the tourist season)

Population in the urban centres:

• Agde : 20 000
• Pézenas : 7 500
• Clermont l’Hérault : 6 500
• Lodève : 7 000

Water Poverty Index : low (WPI : 68-78)

Land uses:

Forest and shrubby zones cover approximately two thirds of the upstream basin. The northern part (20%) is covered by softwoods and hardwoods which are sometimes exploited (silviculture for the softwoods and chestnut plantations). Further south, the Mediterranean vegetation extends over the plateaux and their foothills. These are garrigues (shrubland) of varying density with a predominance of downy oak, kermes oak and arbutus.

The downstream third of the basin is heavily agricultural. The omnipresent crops are mostly vines with several cereal crops.

Water resources and uses in the basin:

Surface water resources

Resource linked to the runoff of the River Hérault whose mean flow rates are as follows:

• Laroque 18 m³/s
• Gignac 28 m³/s
• Agde 45 m³/s

Dams and reservoirs:

The river course is dotted with many small reservoirs whose function is to maintain the level of water in the canals serving the irrigation or water mill networks. In addition, there are larger run-of-the-river reservoirs which are used for energy production, the main ones being:

• the Moulin Bertrand dam at Saint Martin de Londres 
• the Belvezet dam at Saint Guilhem du Désert
• the Meuse dam at Gignac

On the affluents, there are two large-capacity reservoirs:

• lac du Salagou, on the Salagou, an affluent of the Lergue (100 million m³)
• the Olivettes reservoir, on the Peyne, 4 million m³

Groundwater resources:

• Poor in the upstream basin
• Significant karstic resources in the limestone plateau area
• Significant alluvial groundwater of the river in the plain area

Main uses

• The reservoirs and dams have several functions : irrigation, sustaining low-water levels, flood mitigation, electricity production and tourist development.
• Production of potable water, produced almost exclusively from groundwater: 46 million m³ per year of which over 25 million m³ come from the alluvial groundwater.
• Withdrawals for irrigation, surface water withdrawals : 23 million m³ per year of which 15 million m³ are withdrawn from the supply point of the canal de Gignac, where the gorges end, in the middle of the basin.

Policy and legislative properties:

• The stakeholders involved in water management in the basin are very diverse: The State has the power to police water and ensure regulatory management of water in the areas of environment, health and agriculture.
• The Water Agency, an administrative public establishment financed by pollution and withdrawal charges, is a technical and financial partner for all projects aimed at improving qualitative and quantitative water management.
• The Conseil Général, whose remit is land-use planning, assists local authorities in their projects and ensures the consistency of basin-wide integrated water management.
• Local authorities (Communes and groups of communes) are in charge of potable water production, sanitation and flood control.
• Professional water users (irrigators, hydroelectricity producers…) often form groups to defend their interests and professions.
• Community associations represent varied local interests (local flood control, environmental protection….).

The 1992 Water Law, provided a framework to associate all these actors in order to build a project for Integrated Water Resources Management at the river basin level: the SAGE.

This Water Development and Management Scheme associates all the actors within the CLE which is in charge of drawing up the SAGE. Under the impetus of the Conseil Général de l’Hérault, the SAGE procedure is currently evolving in the Hérault river basin.

Baseline information availability:

• over twenty pluviometres on the basin with more than thirty years of data.
• 8 hydrometric stations which have been measuring water course flow rates for over 30 years.
• 6 measuring stations for river quality monitoring, including general physico-chemistry; nutrients; organic matter; metal pollution and pesticides, giving annual or biennial results.
• Network of over 100 piezometres for monitoring the groundwater levels.
• Measurement network for groundwater quality.
• Measuring network for discharge from treatment plants.
• Regular data on the functioning of the two main dams, Salagou and Olivettes, owned by the Conseil Général de l’Hérault.

All these measurements are in the public domain. The Conseil Général de l’Hérault has undertaken to consolidate them into one database within the framework of a “unifying” tool, Réseau Fédérateur Eaux et Milieux Aquatiques (Unified Network of Water and Aquatic Environments).

Digital model for water management in the Hérault basin (Magre)

• General study on the floods (high waters of the Hérault
• Potable water supply scheme
• GIS under construction

The Conseil Général de l’Hérault can access all these data.

Organisations and institutions responsible for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the basin:

Commission Locale de l’Eau (Local Water Commission)

Representative Assembly (50% elected representatives, 25% administrations, institutions, 25% socio-professionnels, associations) of the basin charged with drawing up and implementing the SAGE (Schéma d’Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux, Scheme for Water Development and Management), planning tools for integrated water management with a 10-15 year time-frame. This assembly is currently presided over by an elected representative of the Conseil Général de l’Hérault.

CLE SAGE Hérault

Maison du Fleuve Hérault

Barrage de la Meuse 34150 Gignac

France

Conseil Général du Gard (General Council of the Gard)

Represents the Department of the Gard, an administrative unit (type NUTS III) which plans, pilots, manages and finances water-related projects in the areas of hydraulics, irrigation, sanitation, quality of water and its environment, water resources management. 20% of the Hérault basin is in this department.

Conseil Général du Gard

Service de l’Eau

Rue Guillemette 30 000 Nîmes

France

http://www.cg30.fr

Mission Inter services Eau 34 (MISE 34)

Mission inter services de l’Eau : comprises all state departments concerned with water. It is charged with policing water and represents the State in the implementation of the SAGE. One of these departments, the DIREN (Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, Regional Department of the Environment) is directly involved in setting up integrated management in the Hérault basin.

DIREN

58 Avenue Marie de Montpellier CS 79034

34965 Montpellier cedex 2

France

http://www.languedoc-roussillon.environnement.gouv.fr

Agence de l’Eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse (Water Agency for the Rhone, the Mediterranean and Corsica)

This administrative public establishment sets out orientations, plans (by drawing up the Schéma Directeur d’Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux, Masterplan for Water Development and Management, SDAGE) and finances actions carried out within the framework of the water policy. This partner is highly involved in the SAGE procedure.

Agence de l’Eau RMC

Délégation Montpellier

56 Impasse Archimède 34 000 Montpellier

France

http://www.eaurmc.fr

Statement of Issues, Purposes and Outputs

Hydrological and Water Management issues:

The Mediterranean climate with its very pronounced characteristics, mean that the hydrological regime of the Hérault shows very significant variations in flow rate between summer and winter with a variation factor of 10 between the average flow rate in August (8m³/s) and in February (78m³/s) at the river mouth. These average values only partially reflect the very significant variations recorded which can reach extreme values, with very severe low water periods of around 2m³/s and very violent floods estimated at 3500 m³/s.

• floods which are violent (Mediterranean climate) and frequent affect “high-stake” sectors (downstream urban zones). A lot can be done to better manage the flood-prone area and flood alerts for the population in order to minimise the impact of flooding. Climate changes have led to fears that these phenomena may grow in intensity and frequency. Being able to predict floods is of interest to all in safeguarding property and people.
• Increased production of potable water, linked to the rise in population and individual consumption puts considerable pressure on certain aquifers (alluvial groundwater) which can eventually lead to a situation of local scarcity.
• Agricultural withdrawals, mainly in summer when Mediterranean waters are very low, compete with other water users : swimmers, fishermen, preservation of the aquatic environment.

Environmental problems:

The population growth in the basin is causing concern because, despite pollution control, if an increased pollutant load is discharged into the environment it could lead to its degradation.

The increase in withdrawals is generating fears that an exacerbation of the already severe low water periods will cause degradation of the aquatic environment.

Livelihoods issues:

The regular monitoring of potable water shows a good quality of water and cases of non-compliance are very rare.

Nevertheless, changes in quality standards, local characteristics and the relative intensification of agriculture are giving rise to fears about quality issues in the future, linked to: 

• possible localised pollution from metal or toxins 
• incompatibility between pesticide levels and the relevant quality standards.

Policy and legislative issues:

Determining authorisations for water withdrawals is based on the “réservé” flow or compensation water of the river. This notion, which has been established at a national level, is tricky to apply in a Mediterranean context where low water flow rates are naturally very low. The notion of "débits objectifs à l’étiage" (low flow target discharge ) could be better adapted.

Water management powers are fragmented among various state administrations, local authorities and local interests. The real challenge for the SAGE procedure is to associate these powers to achieve genuine concerted water management in the basin.

 How do the issues fit with the Five HELP Issues?

The problems of Integrated Water Resources Management in the Hérault basin fit the following issues:

Water and food:

• The Hérault is an important resource for potable water via: 
• water withdrawals directly from the river (quite limited);
• significant deep karstic reserves concealed by the limestone plateaux of the basin. 
• alluvial groundwater accompanying the river or its affluents.

Withdrawals for potable water now stand out around 46 million m³ per year. This resource supplies sectors outside the basin. Population growth will lead to a significant rise in demand in the years to come.

Water quality and human health:

The demographic growth of the region will lead to an increase in domestic effluents which, if not anticipated may interact on the quality of the resource and generate health problems in the leisure areas (swimming places …).

Contamination from the use of pesticides in farming is already noticeable in downstream aquifers. In the longer term, an increase in pesticide levels could affect the health of populations drinking this water unless it undergoes appropriate treatment.

Water and environment:

Population growth could lead to a decline in the quality and quantity of water in the basin. This would mean a reduction in the quality of the aquatic milieus which are always exceptionally rich in the Mediterranean environment.

Water and climate:

Floods are the major natural risk in the basin. Comprehending and integrating exceptional climatic phenomena into land-use planning will lessen the effects of devastating floods. Serious thought needs to be given to the need to take account of the climate changes, which have been forecast by scientists, in risk prediction and prevention.

Moreover, the annual replenishment of resources is closely linked to pluviometry; pluviometric changes would lead to changes in resource availability, likely to destroy the balance of the present management.

Water and conflict:

Growing demand:

• in quantity, due to the increase in population and users ;
• in quality, because the evolution in social demand and corresponding evolution in standards inevitably lead to tensions between the various users.

The problems are clearly identified at the two seasonal extremes: 

• summer, because drought (of the climate) generates competition among domestic use, agricultural use and biological equilibrium.
• winter, because of heavy rain floods.

In summer, the phenomenon is exacerbated on the Hérault because the demand for irrigation water is very high, the population doubles because of the influx of tourists and the aquatic environment is more vulnerable as the high temperatures make low water levels more dangerous.

In winter, during the heavy rains flood discharge areas have to be selected, which means that these sites tend to be devalorised to the detriment of others with enhanced protection.

These factors spark major debates on priority targets to set for dams and their managerial procedures and the consequent impact on the quality and uses of nearby territory.

Setting up the SAGE will enable stakeholders to expose their problems, consider the concerns of other categories of actors and thereby envisage concerted solutions.

Institutional change and capacity building issues:

There is no management structure at the level of the basin. Consultations carried out within the framework of the SAGE procedure will lay the foundation of such a structure.

Principal purposes:

The objective of the SAGE is concerted water planning in the basin within a time-frame of 15 years. The SAGE has a regulatory scope which will require administrative authorisations regarding water to be consistent with the SAGE recommendations. All water-related issues are dealt with. 4 priority themes are the subject of specific themed commissions within the consultation framework of the SAGE:

• rises in water level and floods;
• quantitative resource management;
• qualitative management of the resource and environment;
• structuring global management at the level of the basin.

Geographic commissions are also set up and allow closer exchanges with the general public so that local issues can really be taken into consideration.

The very procedure for developing the SAGE through consultations and exchanges, creates a “water culture” in the basin. Indeed, during the various stages, the different categories of actors who meet one another, identify with and take into consideration the issues of other stakeholders, share a common level of global knowledge and broaden their geographic and thematic vision of water management.

The general public is involved in this dynamic through the community associations which are an integral part of the approach, through the feedback from elected representatives to the community and through the specific exchanges which take place during these very open geographic commissions.

Therefore, beyond the formal objectives of SAGE (planning, regulating), the emergence of this “water culture” appears as a by-product of the approach. This culture will give a certain amount of support for the next stages and for the successful implementation of the SAGE.

Principal outputs:

• finalisation of the SAGE document
• enhancement of knowledge base on themes related to the basin water
• creation of a “water’ theme common to all the actors of the basin
• water management being taken into account in land-use planning policies by local actors
• creation of global common management framework which is shared and approved by the actors 
• creation of mutual, formalised and opposable management rules
• creation of a co-ordinated and holistic water management structure at the level of the basin. 
• determine the local contracting authorities who will implement the SAGE

Statement of Proposed Activities

Outline of the HELP programme design and plan:

Setting up the SAGE will give a framework to water management by taking into account the following themes:

Hydrology

• taking account of flood risk in land-use planning (torrential and fluvial risk)
• quantifying water resources (surface water and groundwater) in the basin
• matching present and future needs/resources 
• seeking water-saving solutions
• optimal harnessing of resources

Environment

• caracterisation of the aquatic environments of the basin
• definition of constraints
• economic consequences linked to the aquatic environment
• objectives for conservation and management of aquatic environments

Life

• consultation between actors to share resources among agriculture, potable water and the natural environment

Politics

• validation by the CLE of the strategy and definition of targets for integrated management in the basin
• production of the SAGE document with a regulatory scope
• encouragement of local actors to incorporate water into policies for land-use developing and planning
• setting up a globally co-ordinated structure at the level of the basin

Measurement and reporting of baseline conditions in the basin:

There are a great many global studies on the basin (hydrology, underground resources, potable water allocation …). Within the framework of drawing up SAGE, all the data and studies are summarised in a general statement on the basin to give a holistic vision of the “water” issue in the basin. Any additional knowledge requirements are defined then.

Stakeholder analysis, participation and consultation:

All the water actors are formally associated in the SAGE procedure (the State, local authorities, chambres consulaires (consular chambers), associations …) within the CLE, the deliberative body.

But there is broader participation in the working commissions of the CLE. These commissions are open to members of the CLE but also to any local actor wishing to engage in the SAGE approach and thereby play a part in drawing up the common management framework.

Capacity building, training and education:

The people in charge of this programme are professional water specialists. They form a pluridisciplinary team with regular training. Their combined experience easily cover the requirements of the programme. There is still a need however, for training, education and awareness-raising for citizens in integrated management procedures. This can be achieved through organising meetings to present these approaches to associations, themed one-day exhibitions in public meeting places, namely the Maison Départementale de l’Environnement de Restinclières and the Maison du fleuve Hérault de Gignac. In addition, the integrated management of the Hérault river basin is the subject of a training course or work experience for students from Montpellier Faculties.

An Internet site for SAGE Hérault (procedure, state of progress, results of studies) is also planned.

Schedule of proposed activities:

In 1999, the arrêté préfectoral (prefectoral decree) defining the area of control for the SAGE was signed. Starting in 2002, the Conseil Général de l’Hérault mobilised its resources for the active development phase of the SAGE. A facilitator was hired with the specific remit of developing the SAGE. In 2003, the procedure was set in motion to carry out the following:

• the setting up of the Commission Locale de l’Eau (Local Water Commission, CLE) and the election of its President
• vote by the CLE on its internal regulations and working method
• creation of the Board, setting up geographic and thematic commissions
• public meeting (over 100 people) with presentation of the procedure and encouraging the public to take part in it
• meeting of the 7 commissions (thematic and geographic) with brief presentation of issues and collection of viewpoints of actors. Between 30 and 80 people were present at each meeting
• inventory and collecting data from actors 
• first draft of a statement on the themes defined
• first reflection on the setting up of a management structure

For 2004, the targets for the year are as follows:

• validation by the CLE of the statement-diagnosis
• on the basis of the diagnosis, reflection on the strategy to implement and definition of the key orientations of the SAGE ;
• analysis by the CLE of possible options for setting up a management structure

2005: fine-tuning of SAGE targets and recommendations, validation and approval of the document.

2005-2006: Creation of a local management structure (Syndicat Mixte) for the implementation of the SAGE recommendations.

Monitoring and evaluation:

During the development phase, the various steps of the SAGE are validated by the CLE (52 members). The work is defined, supervised and monitored beforehand by a select Committee of the CLE (12 members), with the support of scientists. The technical part is followed up by a committee comprising State technical services, the Water Agency and the departements of the Gard and Hérault.

The SAGE procedure comes under the framework of the Loi sur l’eau (Water Act) of January 3^rd 1992 and its décret d’application of September 24^th 1992. For the monitoring and validation phases, provision is made for the following terms and conditions:

• After being drafted, the document is submitted to the communes, départements and régions concerned as well as to the chambres consulaires.
• The document and the viewpoints expressed are then analysed by the basin committee.
• After any changes are made, the document is then put at the disposal of the public for 2 months.
• When the views of the public have been taken into consideration, the final document receives the CLE’s final approval.
• It is then approved by order of the prefect (arrêté préfectoral).
• Subsequently, the implementation of the SAGE is monitored by the CLE which then evaluates and updates it to take account of any changes in the basin or any water-related issues.

The SAGE is a regulatory document, binding on the administration. As such, its dispositions are enforceable as soon as it is approved. Thus, any water-related administrative decision must be compatible with the SAGE and the SAGE must be taken into consideration if a decision concerns another area. The regulatory aspect of the document ensures effective implementation of its provisions.

Statement of Commitment

Programme or project team members:

• Mr. Pierre Guiraud, élu, Président SAGE Hérault
• Mme Irina Valarié, Conseil Général de l’Hérault
• Mr. Jean Louis Brouillet, conseil général de l’Hérault 
• Mr. Christophe Vivier, Commission Locale de l’Eau du SAGE Hérault 
• Mr. Michel Déblaize, Agence de l’Eau RMC ; Mme Cathérine Roudier, DIREN
• Mr. Patrick Thomas, conseil général du Gard
• Mr. Michel Salenave, MISE 34
• Mr. Pierre Chevallier, IFR-ILEE

Supporting partners and stakeholders:

• Conseil général de l’Hérault
• Conseil général du Gard
• Agence de l’Eau RMC
• DIREN
• MISE34

Contribution to promoting HELP values

The integrated management policy of the Hérault basin is just one of many similar policies carried out by the Conseil Général de l’Hérault over the last ten years or so. In the département of Hérault there are three other concerted management procedures : a SAGE in the basin of Lez Mosson Etangs Palavasiens, approved in 2003, a SAGE in the basse vallée de l’Aude (in progress) a SAGE in Agoût (in progress). A special feature of the Hérault SAGE is its very close involvement with scientists, because for the 11 research teams and Universities which make up the IFR-ILEE, the Hérault basin is one of their priority research programmes. In addition, the Hérault basin has been the subject of a basin study within the framework of two European projects, AQUADAPT and Gouverne focusing on integrated water management. A third, integrated project, WATER Trialogue is being prepared, (VIème PCRD, mesures : Gestion Intégrée de l’Eau et Changement climatique, 6th PCRD, measures : Integrated Water Management and Climate Change). The Conseil Général de l’Hérault is a partner and end-user of the project’s findings and the Hérault basin is a pilot study site. Furthermore, the Conseil général de l’Hérault exchanges its experiences in integrated management with developing countries : Chilli (IV Région, gestion intégré de l’Elqui,), Morocco and Tunisia, with whom protocols for decentralised cooperation in water management have been established.

What inputs from other HELP basins are required through technology-transfer and training to achieve the desired project objectives? What inputs could you provide to other HELP basins through technology-transfer and training?

The experience acquired by the Conseil Général de l’Hérault in integrated water management, consultation methods, negotiating, policy knowledge and practice, users, scientists, its local and international partners could position it as one of the actors for transferring know-how and disseminating concepts, tools and results of integrated management procedures (at the local and international level).

Key contacts for this project:

Mme Irina VALARIE

Director of the Direction de l’Eau et des Milieux Aquatiques,

Conseil Général de l’Hérault,

1000 rue d’Alco 34087 MONTPELLIER, Cedex 4

France

E-mail: dema@cg34.fr / i-valarie@cg34.fr

Mr. Jean Louis Brouillet

Chef service Gestion globale de l’Eau de la DEMA,

Conseil Général de l’Hérault

1000 rue d’Alco 34087 MONTPELLIER Cedex 4

France

E-mail: gestionglobaleeau@cg34.fr

Mr. Christophe VIVIER

Animateur du SAGE Hérault

Service Gestion Globale de l’Eau et des Milieux Aquatiques, DARE/DEMA

Conseil Général de l’Hérault

1000 rue d’Alco 34087 MONTPELLIER Cedex 4

France

E-mail: sageherault@cg34.fr

Links:

• Conseil Général de l’Hérault (General Council of Hérault): http://www.cg34.fr
• GWP: http://www.gwpforum.org
• Institut Méditerranéen de l’Eau (Mediterranean Institute of Water): http://www.ime-eau.org/default.html
• UNITWIN/UNESCO Network: http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=4034&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
• SAGE (Schéma d’Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux, Scheme for Water Development and Management): http://www.montpellier.cci.fr/amenagement/1-sage.htm
• Information sur la Commission Locale de l’Eau (Local Water Commission) : http://www.vie-publique.fr/dossier_polpublic/politique_eau/acteurs/commission_locale.shtml
• Maison du Fleuve Hérault: http://www.cg34.fr/environnement/pratique/organisme/fleuve.html
• Conseil Général du Gard (General Council of the Gard): http://www.cg30.fr
• Mission Inter services Eau 34 (MISE 34): http://www.herault.pref.gouv.fr/34/grandsdossiers/MISE_eau/loi_eau.shtm
• DIREN (Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, Regional Department of the Environment): http://www.languedoc-roussillon.environnement.gouv.fr
• Agence de l’Eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse (Water Agency for the Rhone, the Mediterranean and Corsica): http://www.eaurmc.fr 
• Institut Fédératif de Recherche: http://www.montp.inserm.fr/ifr3.htm
• Maison des Sciences de l’Eau: http://www.maisondeleau.org/ -
• 1992 Water Law: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=ENVX9100061L
• European project AQUADAPT: http://www.aquadapt.net/