For several months, heat waves have been following each other, as well as heat waves, which has caused a record drought in all of France, with the majority of the departments on alert for drinking water. For several days, Internet users have been worried about the level of the Loire River, dangerously low, with areas that are completely dry. However, the Seine does not seem to be affected by the drought, while its level is quite usual to the naked eye. But how is this possible?
The river, which crosses the capital, is supplied with waterthanks to the large surrounding reservoirs. This makes it possible to limit the fall of its water level, although it is below the threshold of triggering the drought alert, set up a few days ago. Indeed, a flow of 75 m³/s was measured at the hydrometric station of Paris-Austerlitz, 6 m³/s less than the norm.
The level of the Seine is maintained artificially with the help of four large basins: Lake Pannecière (Yonne), Lake Der-Chantecoq (Marne), Lake Amande and Lake Temple (Aube) and Lake Orient (Seine). Without them, the Seine would be half as high, according to Baptiste Blanchard, general manager of the Seine Grands Lacs public establishment. And it is essential that the flow of the river remains important, since it allows the cooling of the reactors of the nuclear power plant of Nogent-sur-Seine. A precious help that the Loire does not benefit from...
The Loire, August 2022.
- Mickaël Correia (@MickaCorreia) August 10, 2022
As chilling as it is infuriating.
(📸 @DubrayFranck) pic.twitter.com/R5Z6lkCcqO
