For CNR, hydraulic safety and that of people and property are two priorities. CNR has put in place strict procedures to avoid any incidents near its installations or during releases of water.
Access to hazardous areas is forbidden
One of CNR’s missions is to ensure the hydraulic safety of its structures (dams, hydropower plants, weirs, etc.). That is why access to certain hazardous areas is forbidden immediately up and downstream of the installations. They have been identified by CNR in collaboration with the DREAL (government body) and Prefectural rulings have been issued. Access to the dikes is nonetheless possible: the restrictions concern the slopes of banks, islets and gravel banks, and the riverbed.
Hydraulic safety: making people aware of the need for caution
CNR acts continuously to ensure safety around its installations. In particular, risks exist near dams and the need to make strollers, anglers and nautical sports enthusiasts aware of them is very important. Thus, 500 information panels are installed on the banks of the Rhone from Génissiat (Ain) to the Mediterranean.
Releases of water: specific alert procedures
In order to regulate the discharge of the river and adapt it to production requirements and meteorological conditions, CNR regularly releases water from the dams. Each release gives rise to an alert procedure whose aim is to warn anglers and other persons present in the bypassed sections of the Rhone, i.e. the natural reaches of the river, of the imminent opening of the dam. This gives them time to reach safety.
In summer, Louloute the otter enters the scene!
Every summer, CNR calls on the animals of the territory to put its messages across! During the summer period, Louloute the otter comes on stage as part of an awareness campaign aimed at tourists and the neighbouring population: the water can rise quickly, there are zones where bathing is forbidden, the panels are there to be heeded, etc. Popular and much-liked, Louloute the otter has her own Internet site dedicated to disseminating better knowledge of the river with “Memory” on protected species, a quiz for testing knowledge of the Rhone, and an interactive video to provide better understanding of dam releases!
Dredging the river: why and how?
The concessionary of the Rhone, CNR is responsible for maintaining the riverbed. In this framework, it carries out dredging operations every year. What do these operations consist of? The aim is to remove sediment deposits that accumulate in a particular area and impede the flow or navigation. Each operation is carried out after approval is given by the administrative authorities, within a strict regulatory framework and without damaging the environment. The procedure is carried out according to the provisions of the Law on Water and Wetlands (LEMA). The operations are performed during the most propitious periods to limit impacts on the reproduction and migration of animal species. Once the dredging has been done, CNR sends a dredging incident sheet for each operation to the river police. It sets out the measures intended to control the impacts. Once the incident sheet has been approved by the administration, CNR publishes it on its internet site.