Pond of Berre

The pond of Berre (in Occitan Of Provence: estanh of Bèrra/mar of Bèrra according to the traditional standard or estang of Berro/mar of Berro according to the Norme mistralienne) is a water reserve close to the the Mediterranean in the west of Marseilles.

Short description

Created by the increase of water at the time of the last Glaciation S, this small interior Mer is currently composed of three subsets: the principal pond is supplemented pond of Vain in the east and pond of Bolmon in south-east. It is a vast brackish water level of 15.500 hectares is 900 million cubic meters of liquid (20 kilometers of length, 16,5 kilometers broad to the maximum and 6 meters of maximum depth). Its Latin name was Stagnum Mastromela .

The pond of Berre is the natural receptacle in soft Eau of the Arc, the Touloubre, the Cadière, Durançole. Its natural area catchment is of 1.700 km ².

Two channels connect the pond to the sea: the Channel of Caronte towards Port-de-Bouc (6,5 kilometers of length, 250 meters of width and 10 meters of depth) and the Channel of Rove towards the Estaque, but the underground part of this last is blocked by a crumbling.

Since 1966, it receives fresh water of the Durance by the Canal of the Durance. This channel usinier EDF feeds the hydroelectric station of Saint-Chamas. This considerable contribution of fresh water and silts has serious hydrological and ecological consequences for the pond, the Durance and the ground water associated, and for the the Camargue which, deprived of silts, moves back in front of the sea.

The banks of the pond of Berre underwent the keen installation of its banks since the beginning of the 20th century, oil refineries, airport, etc In spite of that, the pond still conceals unsuspected natural wealths. The diversity of natural spaces offers to the birds a multitude mediums. The pond of Berre and its neighborhoods accommodate more than 250 species of birds.

The communes which border the pond are ten: Istres, Miramas, Saint-Chamas, Berre-l' Pond, Rognac, Vitrolles, Marignane, Châteauneuf-the-Martigues, Martigues and Saint-Miter-the-Ramparts.

The pond of Berre in some dates

Of the Middle Ages at the beginning of the 19th century

the Romans colonize the pond of Berre to Antiquity, fertile ground and fresh water of the rivers.
Development of small villages directed towards the work of the ground (vine, olive-tree, exploitation of the saltworks).

As from the 19th century

the pond of Berre becomes a strategic site for the establishment of economic activities.

Between 1863 and 1925

Deepening of the channel with -3m then successive work carrying the depth of the channel of Caronte of -3m to -6 m then to -9 m of depth in 1925.

1925

Brought into service of the Channel of Rove connecting the pond to the roads of Marseilles.

Between 1900 and 1930

Installation of the Shell refineries in Berre the pond (1928).
Installation of the refineries of Provence (Total future) in Mède (Châteauneuf-the-Martigues).

1957

Prohibition of fishing in the pond of Berre by law 57-897, justifying itself by the accumulation of chemical pollution in the flesh of fish.
the fishermen are compensated for the caused damage then sell their fishing rights.

Between 1960 and 1980

Creation and development of the steelworks of Fos and creation of many jobs.

1963

Crumbling of the tunnel of the channel of Rove.

Before 1966

the salinity of the pond is of 32 g/l, with a low space and temporal variability related on the river contributions and the climatic conditions.
Of vast herbaria of zostères colonizes the belt ranging between the feature of coast and the depth 4-5 Mr.
a benthic macrofaune with marine affinity is present in all the pond.
Ichtyofaune diversified and abundant.
chemical Contamination of water and the sediments.

1966

Brought into service of the power station EDF of Saint-Chamas and production of hydroelectricity.
Apports of 3,3 billion m ³ /an of fresh water on average (over the period 1966-93) is approximately 3,7 times the volume of the pond; average contributions in sediment of 520.000 t/an over the same period.
salinity falls quickly. Important seasonal fluctuations conditioned by the mode of treatment by turbine action.
Stratification of water related to the difference in density between poured fresh water and in-depth sea water entering.
Contributions increased in nutrients, eutrophication of the medium.
Accumulation of silts in certain zones, in the north of the pond.
Fast degradation of the settlements with marine affinity, appearance of a macrofaune euryhaline, quasi disappearance of the herbaria.
Because of the stratification haline and eutrophication, of the conditions of anoxia prevails in deep water. The benthic life disappeared there.

demographic Decade 1970

Explosion and new urban development of Vitrolles, Istres, Miramas and Fos.

1971

Installation of the SPPPI on the pond of Berre then Fos and application by the local industrialists of standards of rejections more strict than the national standards.

As from the years 1990

1991

Referendum of local initiative, 250.000 residents are mobilized and voted to 95% for the stop of rejections EDF.

Between 1993 and 1995

Plane Barnier: limitation of the rejections of silts with 200.000t/an
Limitation of the fresh water contributions to 2,7 then 2,1 billion m3 over twelve months and to 0,4 billion m ³ between on May 1st and on September 30th.
Beginning of the ecological follow-up of the pond (water quality and of the sediments, biocénoses).
Re-establishment of the fishing rights.

Since 1994

average salinity increases gradually but, in spite of the fall of the fresh water contributions on an annual scale, the seasonal variations remain important.
the sedentary settlements of fauna and the flora remain degraded.
Presence of chemical contaminants in quite localized sediments. The fall of the contents is ascribable to the abatement of the industrial wastes, about 98%, since 1971.

1999

Limitation of the solid rejections of EDF imposed on 100.000 T of limon/an on average.

2000

Creation of the GIPREB. (Grouping of public interest for the rehabilitation of the pond of Berre)

2001

First efflorescences with Cyanobactérie S in the pond of Bolmon, report of the hyper-eutrophication of the medium.

2002

Realization of the study “Assessment of knowledge - health condition of the medium” by the GIPREB.
Study of definition of a path of discovered littoral.
Definition of the objective of return to a balanced ecosystem of deep Mediterranean lagoon.
Launching of the study of derivation of rejections EDF phase II.
Realization of the feasibility studies of the reopening of the tunnel of Rove to the water circulation.
a low hydraulicity leads EDF to limit its rejections. Average salinity increases. Beginning of recolonisation of the sediments by a macrofaune with marine affinity. Spectacular pushes of opportunist macro-algae (ulves).

2003

5 years after the deadline of setting to the standards of the principal purification plants (>10 000 EH), only half of them are to the standards on the catchment area. For more the small stations, the expiry of 2015 is respected relatively strictly.
Decision of the office of the GIPREB to impel the prior studies “Rove” (definition of the experimentation, geotechnical feasibility, impact study).
Launching of the experimental project of collecting of the seed oyster of moulds (GIPREB, Prud' homy of fishing of Martigues and DDAM).

2004

January: launching of the study for the diagram of orientation for the rehabilitation of the pond of Berre.
February: study on the improvement of the water circulation enters the pond of Berre, Bolmon and the channel of Rove.
April: launching of the studies geotechnics for the reopening of the channel of Rove.
April: study finalized on the incidence of the rejections of power station EDF on the medium and the operation of its ecosystem.
May: launching of the study for the definition of the experimentation of the reopening of the channel of Rove.
July: the Court of justice of the European Communities indicates by its decree of July 16th that the European treaties must be applied by France and that those prohibit, in the absence of authorization delivered by the national authority, discharge in a salted pond communicating with the Mediterranean of the substances which while being not poisons, have an unfavourable effect on the oxygen content of the seamen circle.
October: the Court of justice of the European Communities in its decree of October 7th retains two objections constitutive of a failure to the obligations of the protocol of Athens: the absence of authorization of rejection in conformity and the insufficiency of measurements taken to fight and reduce the pollution of the pond of Berre.
the installation of a précampagne of analysis of the medical quality of water of bathe allows the reopening of seven beaches on the pond of Berre during the summer period.

2005

Choice of the step of contract of pond.
on February 11th, France answers the injunctions of Europe, by proposing new methods of rejections.
September: EDF sets up the new methods of rejections in the pond and launches a public survey on the new endorsement of the concession of the power stations of Living room-Saint-Chamas.
on December 19th, the European commission sends at the French State an injunction, considering insufficient the new methods of rejections of EDF.
Of number of equivalent inhabitants, 98% of the urban rejections in the pond are in conformity, 63% on the catchment area.
Making following one year of dryness, the very weak fresh water contributions by power station EDF have as a consequence an exceptionally high salinity of 30 g/l.

See too

External bonds

www.letangnouveau.org: defense association of the pond of Berre
www.etangdeberre.org: The Web site of the GIPREB (Grouping of public interest for the rehabilitation of the pond of Berre)
Monograph presented to the Senate
Chronology of the pond
Complexity of the ecological problem and stakes

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