The Eure has long neglected its banks of the Seine, in the north of the department, but that is a thing of the past. Since mid-February a first section of the banks, in Landin, has been consolidated. The workers finished on time to disturb the residents as little as possible, in this case the peregrine falcons which nest in the cliff above: “The objective was to complete the work before the falcon’s reproduction period which begins from mid-February”, explains Fabrice Bellomo, in charge of works on the banks of the Seine at the port of Rouen.
The banks have been restored with the aim of respecting nature as much as possible. The gabions (cages filled with pebbles) and the vegetated slope form a protective wall against waves and tides. “We are on something, with plants and a mineral structure, which makes it possible to meet the requirements without being in a logic that goes against nature”, specifies Bertrand Pécot, vice-president of the Roumois Seine community of municipalities in charge of the environment. Because as the elected representative reminds us, the Seine is a living element of the territory : “It is we men who find it very practical to want to contain a river. However, a wild river takes ground at the time of precipitation and returns to the bottom of the bed in summer. It should not be forgotten. “
The Eure is several decades behind in the maintenance of its banks of the Seine
These banks were in great need of consolidation, some even running the risk of falling into the river bed. Since the Gemapi law (Management of aquatic environments and flood prevention), it is the Roumois Seine community of municipalities which is competent in this area. And she quickly grasped the subject because the Department of Eure has little maintained its banks of the Seine, Bertrand Pécot speaks of a delay of “several decades”. The phenomenon of natural erosion is also accentuated by the maritime traffic, the boats make waves which strike the banks. The cost of the works is estimated at 2.7 million euros. They are 46% financed by the port of Rouen, the rest is supported by the State and the Normandy Region.
A few kilometers further on on the towpath between Le Landin and Barneville sur Seine, there are about twenty houses. There are a lot of second homes, but there are also people who live there year-round, like Patrick. He has lived here for 12 years and has never stopped asking for work. For the past three years, her house has been flooded. He had up to 50cm of water. The year 2020 has been the worst: “We had 9.54m height from the Seine and the path is 8.89m. The water was 5cm from the windows”.
Patrick was relieved to learn that the riprap, the cement coating that protects the bank in front of his house, will be reshaped as part of the work. The towpath, which has sagged in places and allows water to pass more easily, will also be rehabilitated. Patrick knows, however, that it will not always prevent flooding. The phenomenon is accentuated with the climate deregulation and the Roumois Seine community of municipalities is planning to form a union with all the regions of the downstream Seine to better manage these new issues.
Risk studies must also be launched, which will recommend the construction of works in inhabited areas, but Bertrand Pécot is already warning residents on the banks of the Seine: “We are not going to make walls of two meters in front of their door because it is going against the nature of the river.”
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