Extension of the Gignac ASA: the “Sauvons le Salagou” collective is stepping up to the plate

Marie Azorin and Jean-Claude Rossignol from the collective “Sauvons le Salagou” Midi Libre – JM

Les travaux d'extension sont lancés en aval du Salagou – JM

Le collectif "Sauvons le Salagou"* est à l'origine d'une pétition et d'un courrier transmis au préfet de l'Hérault. Les militants entendent sonner l'alerte sur"the impact of drought on the lake while work begins on an irrigation project (costing 7 million euros) for 700 hectares of vines from Salagou". Lighting.
We will return to the subject this Wednesday with the answers provided by Yvon Pellet, vice-president of the Department responsible for agricultural economics and rural development.

On the banks of Salagou, near the Borne car park, in Octon, the level of the lake calls out to Jean-Claude Rossignol. Activist of the association oeuvre d'eau, and of the collective "Sauvons le Salagou", the Héraultais notes that in the middle of winter the reservoir of' The water struggles to recharge. "For two years, the curves have only gone down. In summer, the Salagou is used to maintain the low water level of the Hérault river. There, at an elevation of 137.35"m, many reed beds are dry. And, here, we see that the catchment mouth of the ASA of Octon, useful to market gardeners and wine growers in the sector, which is at 136 m, is not only a little over a meter from the surface…."*

A relevant model ?

Since the fall, work on the extension of the ASA of the Gignac Canal* has been launched between Salagou and Saint-Saturnin, Jonquières, Montpeyroux… “Let's be clear, we are not opposed to irrigation. But it is legitimate to question the relevance of this irrigation model. Agriculture needs water to produce but, historically, the vine is a crop that is not irrigated. This can, ultimately, be designed for planters… or to compensate for the storms of August 15. But there, the model that is in place is productivist" "We should begin the transition. If we have to irrigate, as much as it serves to develop market gardening and fruit production, but not necessarily the vine", continues Marie Azorin, launcher of & #39;alert and member of the collective.*"

"We make the vine "irridependent""

Gold, according to Jean-Claude Rossignol. "Even if a large part of this project costing 7 M&Euro; is subsidized, we can estimate that each wine grower will be obliged to increase their production by 10 to 20% to cover the costs remaining their responsibility. They are forced to produce more. And we make the vine “irridependent”. We are doing the opposite of what should be done: making the vines resistant to drought and lack of water. Above all, we can question the relevance of wanting to increase production while we are in the middle of a wine crisis. Olivier Hébrard, member of the collective and doctor in water sciences drives the point home: "taking to support a moribund system, a viticulture which relies on unreasonable irrigation to, ultimately, end up in distillation, is clearly choosing to sink ourselves into the' abyss. It would be preferable to direct subsidies either towards supporting changes in practices, there are numerous levers on the vine, or towards partial uprooting and cultural reconversion. All, without loss of income for years, or even with incentive income…"

The games, however, seem to be done: the project, included in the 2018 Water Resources Management Plan, has been validated for a long time, after public consultation, and the works are in progress. "It'may be late, but we believe that these projects need to be re-evaluated in light of climate change" , concludes Marie Azorin. Is there still time to review the copy ? The question is asked. To be continued…

Thérèse Ledermann, member of Codev, is also part of the collective. I subscribe to read more