Meeting with Rosine Cabrit

What is the importance of water in the Cévennes?

The importance of water in the Cévennes is evident from its geological history. Between 400 and 600 million years ago, the Cévennes began to form, millimeter by millimeter, at the bottom of the sea. For millions of years, clayey mud was deposited on the seabed, gradually transforming into sedimentary rock under pressure. This landscape, born of water, is subject to the harshness of the climate, characterized by alternating periods of "too much water" and "not enough water."

The Cévennes region of the Gard department experiences a Mediterranean climate with continental and oceanic influences, characterized by high annual rainfall averaging between 800 and 1000 mm. This climate is marked by Cévennes episodes, torrential and abundant rainfall concentrated over short periods, brief, cold winters with moderate snowfall, and pronounced summer droughts.

Exceptional floods are affecting all the waterways of the Cévennes region, devastating numerous agricultural lands, destroying factories, bridges, roads, houses… These floods have a very significant financial cost and are now forcing the authorities to undertake work to protect the population and the infrastructure of the municipalities: construction of flood control dams, retention basins, dikes, flood spreading areas, maintenance work on the riparian zone, debris removal systems…

How did previous generations of Cévennes people tame the water?

Previous generations of Cévennes inhabitants had to implement various strategies to settle in this rugged terrain, to protect themselves from the destructive water, and to harness this element vital to the survival of the population. They had to learn to protect themselves from this destructive water. They had to protect themselves from the runoff that carried arable land to the valley floor by building terraces, known as bancels, which created cultivable plots, deepened and artificially retained the soil, channeled the flow of water, improved water infiltration, and provided water reserves for vegetation. All these factors made these strategies essential for cultivation and soil conservation.

During the great expansion of chestnut cultivation in the 16th century, the slope was cut back by low walls which channeled runoff water towards natural streams or irrigation ditches, designed for its drainage. These walls also retained the soil, providing the trees with deeper ground, better suited to retaining infiltrated water.

If these measures proved insufficient, trenches called aigadiers or trencats were built to channel the water towards the nearest outlet. Reforestation of the Aigoual massif also helped to limit soil erosion and slow runoff.
To protect the riverbanks, vulnerable to erosion, the inhabitants of the Cévennes region in the 18th century devised causeways called rascaças. To harness this element vital to their survival, they sought out groundwater. They built water catchment systems by digging tunnels to collect water that had seeped into the fissures.

To irrigate arable land, underground trenches called valats ratiers were dug, forming a network that drained damp soil towards a spring. In most of these water intakes, a reservoir was built for storage: the gourgue. Open-air gourgues were used for agricultural activities, while enclosed ones served domestic needs. They also harnessed river water for irrigation or to power mills by constructing water intakes called païssières and irrigation canals called béals.
Basins, called naucas or pisas, carved into blocks of rock, served as reservoirs for household activities or to water livestock.

Are their techniques still used today?

The Industrial Revolution led the Cévennes population to leave the mountains, and many structures were abandoned and largely reclaimed by vegetation. Nevertheless, the terraces, irrigation channels, streams, and water intakes are still used for agricultural activity, particularly for growing sweet onions and supplying water to numerous farmhouses.

However, the old structures used to protect against runoff, such as the tancats, are falling into disrepair. It seems essential to me to preserve these ancestral techniques so that the Cévennes region does not face more significant water stress. The fact that the Cévennes are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site demonstrates the importance of preserving this heritage and passing on traditional knowledge.

What have we learned from previous generations?

This entire hydraulic system is remarkable for its ingenuity, revealing a true mastery of water management and therefore its use. Humans have managed water in the best possible way with truly exemplary, economical, and effective means.

Among good practices, I would cite water management for agriculture, irrigation, mills, domestic needs, and flood protection. Our ancestors taught us that the intensive exploitation of certain environments is a harmful practice with consequences for biodiversity, communities, and property. The Aigoual massif, for example, has suffered from deforestation and overgrazing.

How can we reduce our impact to preserve the aquatic biodiversity of our rivers?

First, by recognizing that the river is an ecosystem in which human activity has impacts that can weaken it. We must preserve aquatic biodiversity, which is a vital resource for each and every one of us.

It is possible to practice a few simple actions in our daily lives: take your waste with you and, if possible, collect plastics and other non-biodegradable waste encountered along your way.

Letting the river flow freely: artificial dams in rivers have several harmful effects on wildlife and their habitats. These dams, even small ones, prevent fish from moving freely in the waterway. Yet fish need to move around freely to feed and reproduce. Furthermore, moving stones can alter the riverbed, destroying habitats and spawning grounds. Finally, in the dams, the water warms up, becomes less oxygenated, and promotes the growth of algae.

Be careful when choosing sunscreen: every year, between 10,000 and 25,000 tons of sunscreen products end up in oceans, seas, and rivers. Whether they are chemical or mineral UV filters, these products have a significant impact on aquatic flora and fauna. Many other actions can be taken to protect these environments.

The Water House is open from May to September, Rosine will be waiting for you there for a visit or for a family workshop.