Rhône River report, by Sanne Gerrits
The Rhone River is one of the major rivers in Western Europe. The Rhône rises from the
Rhône glacier at a height of 1765 m. After flowing trough Switzerland for 260 km it enters France trough lake Geneva. The river flows trough France for 550 km before it flows out in the Mediterranean Sea.
Characteristics
Length: 810 km
Total area river basin: 98.000 km2
Main tributaries: Ain and Saône.
The functions of the Rhône river: agriculture, industry, tourism, transport and the generation of energy.
Environmental problems
- Erosion
- Wash out of fish by opening barrage
Conclusion
In Switzerland lies the Verbois barrage. Since the construction of this barrage there been a fast erosion upstream and therfor a huge stream of erosion material flows to the barrage. The barrage must be opened ones in every three or four years to wash away the sediment and salts. During this process the fish is being washed out into France. Another consequence of the process is that fish stock can’t recover itself.
The solution used to end this problem is to drive the fish upstream with the SPA-method, where they are save for the wash away. When the fish are upstream, the are kept in the save area by sound waves.
Abstract
The Rhone River is one of the major rivers in Western Europe. The Rhône rises from the
Rhône glacier at a height of 1765 m. After flowing trough Switzerland for 260 km it enters France trough lake Geneva. The river flows trough France for 550 km before it flows out in the Mediterranean Sea. The delta is known as the Camargue en begins 3 kilometres above Arles. The total area of the river basin is 98. 000 km2 from wich 8.000 km2 in Switzerland. The main tributaries are the Ain (200 km) and the Saône (450 km). The main tributaries of the Saône are the Doubs (430 km), Ardèche (112 km), Gard (140 km), Arve (100 km), Isère (290 km), Drôme (100 km) and the Durance (350 km).
The functions of the Rhône River are the agriculture, industry, tourism, transportation and the generation of energy
In the French area of the Rhône is the CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône) responsible for making the Rhône navigable, the generation of energy and irrigation on behalf of the agriculture. CNR takes care of the generation of hydro-electricity, construction of barrages and locks and the digging of channels.
The river basin of the Rhône River
In Switzerland there is no committee for the river Rhône, but a privet association takes care for the barrages, among other (which, others) the Verbois barrage. Since the construction of the barrage there has been fast erosion upstream and therefore a huge stream of erosion material flows to the barrage. The barrage must be opened ones in every three or four years to wash away the sediment and salts. During this process the fish is being washed out into France. Another consequence of the process is that the fish stock can't recover itself.
The solution used to end this problem is to drive the fish upstream with the SPA-method, where they are save for the wash away. When the fish are upstream, the are kept in the save area by sound waves.
The different functions are not always in good balance, this can be seen in the Camargue. The Camargue has a surface area of 800 km2, and is surrounded by the Petit and Grand Rhône. Its also one of the major wildlife areas of Europe. At the ending of the nineteenth century the area between de delta and the sea has been banked in. This has major consequence for what once has been a dynamic area.
The major user functions of the Camargue are: extraction of salt, agriculture, recreation and industry. Especially the cultivation of rice and the extraction of salt have opposite interests. The rice producer pump millions m3 fresh (Rhône) water into the Camargue while the salt industry pumps millions m3 seawater into the delta.
Links:
http://www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/ARTICLES/0150/01544960_A.html
http://www.ipsn-dpre.com/ecorad2001/Summaries/Arnaud.htm
http://www.irn.org/pubs/wrr/9701/rhone.html
http://www.cnr.tm.fr/cnr/
http://www.fish-guide.com/Introduction/Case%20Histories/Rhone%20-%20Fish%20Herding/HerdingEngl_0ct2000.html
http://www.swissdams.ch/swisscod/Dams/damForm/default_e.asp?ID=75
|
