It is one of the natural jewels of the Jura, which is however not lacking.
Lake Chalain, with its turquoise water and surrounding mountains, is a delight for tourists, especially in summer.
The site is so popular with visitors that it was recently the subject of an unusual decision to ensure its safeguard.
In a press release released on September 30, the Jura departmental council voted on its plan to put an end to the slow agony of the lake, which is experiencing some worrying changes.
With a flagship measure at the head of the gondola: the closure of the Domaine campsite and its 727 pitches.
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“It is our duty to act and we must act now
,” said Clément Pernot, president of the departmental council, during this session.
Because for the local authority, the lake - listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its remains of habitat on stilts dating back several thousand years - has been confronted for several years with a worrying phenomenon of eutrophication.
As the CNRS reminds us, it is a form of pollution of certain aquatic ecosystems, resulting from an
"environment (which) receives too many nutrients assimilable by algae"
, causing a proliferation of the latter.
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"This is then characterized by an enrichment in nitrates and phosphates, causing ecological imbalances such as the proliferation of aquatic vegetation and the depletion of the environment in oxygen, with a significant risk of contamination by cyanobacteria"
, declared the departmental council. after its public session.
Monitored since 2015, Lake Chalain has been the subject of several expert appraisals over the years to understand the extent of the problem.
Disappearance of part of the beaches of the lake
A major tourist site in the Jura, Lake Chalain is redeveloped each year to welcome visitors.
From May, this large water point is artificially lowered from 488 meters to 486.2 meters to clear beach surfaces.
From now on, with the decision of the Jura departmental council, the surface of the lake will be raised to 488 meters all year round, eliminating some of the natural attractions, including the beach located in the town of Marigny.
“To give the lake every chance to regenerate (…), it must be restored to the most natural functioning possible by putting an end to the artificial tidal range in force every summer”
, justified Clément Pernot.
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However, some places should be preserved, such as the Les Lagons swimming pool, or the Doucier beach.
But the objective has already been stated: these various measures also aim to limit the consequences of overtourism.
The Domaine campsite alone recorded 200,000 overnight stays, mainly concentrated in the summer period.
Dissatisfaction
Still, the decision of the county council is far from unanimous.
The closure of the campsite concentrates some of the frustrations.
Some tourists have expressed their dissatisfaction.
“
We believe that the pollution of the lake is not caused by tourists.
It's a combination of factors and vacationers are just a small part of it.
There would be so much to do to improve the state of the campsite, that of the lake
, ”said a Dutch tourist, a regular customer of the campsite, interviewed by France 3 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
Some merchants close to the campsite are already anticipating a significant impact on their turnover.
On the side of the Jura departmental council, the choice of safeguarding the lake takes precedence over everything else.
“The priority is not profitability, it is the preservation of the lake!”
, said its president during the vote.
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