This award highlights a public utility project jointly led by BRGM, the Adour-Garonne Water Agency, the Occitanie Region, and Réseau31. These organizations collaborate to preserve water resources, and this prize represents a collective pride for everyone involved.
Launched in 2023, the R’Garonne project is an unprecedented scientific experiment aimed at recharging groundwater. The concept involves using the Garonne river's flow in winter, when water is abundant, to supply the Saint-Martory canal. This canal then transports water to an infiltration basin in Cazères-sur-Garonne, allowing water to be stored and released in the summer, a period of high demand and reduced resources.
The implementation of this controlled groundwater recharge from the Saint-Martory canal represents a scientific innovation. It complements the natural exchanges already present in the aquatic environment and aims to sustainably support low river flows during summer (étiage).
Sébastien VINCINI emphasized the project's importance in the face of climate change: 'By 2050, the summer flow of the Garonne could decrease by up to 60%. Faced with this challenge, we must anticipate, innovate, and dare to experiment. We need to build solutions to preserve resources and ensure water availability in the coming years.' The R’Garonne project could potentially replenish surrounding rivers with approximately 3 million cubic meters of water in the summer.
Initial scientific results, though preliminary, are already positive. This project reflects the efforts of water stakeholders in the department and region to implement water resource preservation solutions in the context of climate change.
