The rains of March were not enough to recharge the water tables in France, 75% of which remain at moderately low or very low levels, making "
proven
" the risk of summer drought for certain regions, announced this Thursday the Office of geological and mining research (BRGM).
The precipitation that fell between March 1 and March 31 “
was not sufficient to generate a sufficient improvement
” in the state of the groundwater, 80% of which had deteriorated a month ago, indicates the public body.
At the end of winter, a period when the water tables are supposed to recharge before the vegetation resumes its growth in the spring, "
all the water tables show levels below normal and 75% show low to very low levels
" continues the BRGM, before adding that “
many sectors present a proven risk of drought during the summer period
”.
Last year, as of April 1, 58% of levels were below normal.
However, the summer of 2022 suffered a historic drought.
Upcoming Water Restrictions
However, the BRGM qualifies somewhat by adding that “
uncertainty remains high on certain aquifers, abundant rains during the spring could help to support the levels or even restore satisfactory levels
”.
According to the BRGM, a good fifty metropolitan departments, particularly in the north, center and south-east of the country thus present a "
very high
" risk of drought "
harbinging a probably tense spring and summer
" and which, in the absence of "
very excess
" rains
in the coming weeks, should result in water restriction orders.
Read alsoDrought: will there be kayaking this summer?
In March, where according to Météo-France France experienced a 40% excess of precipitation at the national level compared to normal, but with very heterogeneous situations depending on the region;
only the aquifers from Brittany to New Aquitaine have benefited from “
substantial episodes of recharge
”.
Several others, in Champagne, in the Rhône-Saône corridor, Roussillon or in Provence/Côte d'Azur, still show "
unfavorable situations
" with levels that remain very low.
Overall, "
the rains that infiltrated deeply during the month of March were not sufficient to generate a clear improvement
", notes the BRGM.
A situation that is all the more worrying since the recharge carried out this autumn and this winter, both particularly dry, remains "
very insufficient to compensate for the deficits accumulated
" for more than a year and that "
from April, the episodes recharge should remain punctual and not very intense except for exceptional rainfall events
”.
