Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]
Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Shoreline management and its implications for coastal processes in the eastern part of the Rhône delta

  • Published:
Journal of Coastal Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The coastal fringe of the eastern part of the Rhône delta is a large area where activities related to ecological and economical interests have increased since the beginning of the century, including the salt industry of theCompagnie des Salins du Midi et des Salines de l’Est, the industrial complex ofFos-sur-Mer, tourism managed by the local authorities ofPort-Saint-Louis andArles, and dune restoration of the La Gracieuse spit undertaken by thePort Autonome de Marseille. The vulnerability of the area for changes brought about by these activities is linked to the extent of several coastal changes, whereas these changes are related to the physical functioning of the coastal fringe, such as coastal processes, but also to external components such as relative sea-level rise, subsidence, reduction of sediment input, human impact, etc.

For many decades, coastline ‘protection’ in the eastern part of the Rhône delta has been undertaken to withstand erosional processes that offset beaches and retreat of the littoral. The use of different engineering structures illustrates the heterogeneity and differences in age of the various management policies. At the eastern side of the Rhône, thePort Autonome de Marseille, dealing with management, has opted for soft engineering structures using fences for dune restoration on the La Gracieuse spit. At the western side of the mouth, theCompagnie des Salins du Midi et des Salines de l’Est has been using hard engineering structures to combat erosion (rocks, groins, tetrapods, etc.).

A brief assessment of the management efficiency is presented, including an analysis of the data collected concerning the survey of the zones where the structures were built. Their varying efficiency shows the important role played by the sediment supply to the littoral (solid river discharge) and the coastal hydro-sedimentary processes. In the eastern part of the Rhône river the success of the dune restoration is mainly due to the important sediment supply transported in this area by eastern drift currents. At the western part of the mouth, the decrease of sediment supply linked to erosional processes in the shallow off-shore beach has made the structures more vulnerable, and therefore, the activities of the salt industry. For this last threatened zone, three management scenarios are discussed by taking into account economical, physical and ecological parameters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CEPREL:

Centre d'Etudes pour la Protection du Littoral (Montpellier, France)

SOGREAH:

Société Grenobloise d'Applications Hydrauliques (Grenoble, France)

CSMSE:

Compagnie des Salins du Midi et des Salines de l'Est

References

  • Anon. 1984.They de la Gracieuse. Etude préliminaire des ouvrages de contrôle de l'évolution du littoral. SOGREAH, Port Autonome de Marseille (La Fossette), 45 0015 R1.

  • Anon. 1988.Suivi des évolutions sédimentologiques dans le golfe de Fos. Protection de la partie terrestre de la flèche de la Gracieuse. Recherche de solutions et recommandations pour un tronçon expérimental de restauration. SOGREAH, Port Autonome de Marseille (La Fossette), 5 1085 R3.

  • Anon. 1989.Protections des bords de mer, Rapport d'activités du 23/10/1989. Note interne. CSMSE (Compagnie des Salins du Midi et des Salines de l'Est), Arles.

  • Anon. 1992.Le littoral des exploitations salinières en Camargue. Evolution et programme de travaux de stabilisation. Rapport d'activités du 01/06/1992. Note interne. CSMSE (Compagnie du Salin du Midi et des Salines de l'Est), Arles.

  • Augustinus, P.G.E.F., Laeven, M.P., Ruwe, J. & de Vries, J.B. 1990. Dune formation and dune degradation in the Camargue, France, Littoral 1990,Comptes Rendus du Premier Symposium International de l'Association Européenne, EUROCOAST, 9–13 Juillet 1990, pp. 115–119.

  • Blanc, J.J. 1996. Plages en recul et dynamique de profils littoraux à Faraman (Camargue, delta du Rhône). Méthodes d'études. Essai d'analyse prévisionnelle,Quaternaire 7 (1): 53–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanc, J.J. & Poydenot, F. 1993. Le rivage de Faraman en Camargue (SE France): un géosystème en désiquilibre; méthode d'étude, conséquences pratiques,Géol. Méditer. 20(2): 75–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruzzi, C. & Provansal, M. 1996. Impacts morphosédimentaires des tempêtes sur les côtes de Provence.Quaternaire 7(2–3): 129–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruzzi, C. & Provansal, M. 1997. Impacts des tempêtes sur le cordon dunaire aménagé de la flèche de La Gracieuse (Delta du Rhône, France Méridionale),Actes du Colloque ‘Continuités et Ruptures sur les Littoraux Européens’, Nantes 13–18 Nov. 95.Cahiers Nantais 47–48: 251–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caillaud, A., Boudet, G., Gieulles, D. & Briand, O. 1990. Le littoral de Salin de Giraud (Communes d'Arles), évolution et programme de travaux de stabilisation,Comptes Rendus du Premier Symposium International de l'Association Européenne, EUROCOAST, 9–13 Juillet 1990, pp. 729–733.

  • Capobianco, M., Stive, M.J.F., Jiménez, J.A. & Sanchez-Arcilla, A. 1998. Towards the definition of budget models for the evolution of deltas.J. Coastal Conserv. 4: 7–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corre, J.J. 1992. Implications des changements climatiques. Etudes de cas: le golfe du Lion (France), In: Jeftic, L., Milliman, J.D. & Sestini, G. (eds.)Climatic change and the Mediterranean, pp. 328–427. Edward Arnold, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Granja, H.M. & Soares de Carvalho, G. 1995. Is the coastline ‘protection’ of Portugal by hard engineering structures effective?J. Coastal Res. 11: 1229–1241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillen, R. & Roelse, P. 1995. Dynamic preservation of the coastline in the Netherlands,J. Coastal Conserv. 1: 17–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez, J.A. & Sanchez-Arcilla, A. 1993. Medium-term coastal response at the Ebro delta, Spain.Mar. Geol. 114: 105–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komar, P.D. & McDougal, W.G. 1988. Coastal erosion and engineering structures: the Oregon experience.J. Coastal Res. Special Issue 4: 77–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longe, J.P. 1990. Rehabilitation of ‘la flèche de la Gracieuse’,Comptes Rendus du Premier Symposium International de l'Association Européenne, EUROCOAST, 9–13 Juillet 1990, pp. 719–723.

  • Moulis, D. 1995.Flèche de la Gracieuse. Ouvrages de protection contre l'érosion, Port Autonome de Marseille (La Fossette). Les CEPREL, Montpellier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moulis, D., Barbel, P. & Radulescu, M. 1993. Instabilité du trait de côte et recherche des conditions d'équilibre: le cas de la flèche de la Gracieuse (Bouches-du-rhône).Bull. Ecol. 24 (2-3-4): 104–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palanques, A. & Guillén, J. 1998. Cpastal changes in the Ebro Delta: Natural and human factors.J. Coastal Conserv. 4: 17–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paskoff, R. 1991.La défense de la côte de la Camargue contre la mer. Rapport d'évaluation, Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue, Arles

    Google Scholar 

  • Pichard, G. 1995. Les crues sur le bas Rhône de 1500 à nos jours. Pour une histoire hydro-climatique.Méditerranée 3–4: 105–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pont, D. 1997. Les débits solides du Rhône à proximité de son embouchure: données récentes (1994–1995).Rev. Géogr. Lyon 72(1): 23–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pont, D. & Bardin, O. 1996. Liquid and solid inputs from the Rhône into the Ile de Camargue and its hydrological functioning. In:Final Workshop MEDDELT, Venezia (Italy), Oct. 2–6, 1996, Vol. I—The past and the Present, pp. 4.29–4.46.

  • Suanez, S. 1997.Dynamiques sédimentaires actuelles et récentes de la frange littorale orientale du delta du Rhône. Thèse de 3ème cycle soutenue le 8 Janvier 1997, Université de Provence, Aix-en Province.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suanez, S. & Provansal, M. 1996. Morphosedimentary behaviour of the deltaïc fringe in comparison to the relative sea-level rise on the Rhône delta,Quat. Sci. Rev. 15: 811–818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suanez, S. & Provansal, M. 1998. Large scale evolution of the littoral of the Rhône delta (Southeast France).J. Coastal Res. 14: 493–501.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suanez, S. & Simon, B. 1997. Utilisation de l'analyse diachronique dans l'étude de l'évolution du littoral du delta du Rhône (France, Sud-Est),Photo-Interprétation 35(3/4): 147–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suanez, S., Prosper-Lager, V. & Provansal, M. 1997. Variation relative du niveau marin dans le delta du Rhône. Implications tectoniques et/ou climatiques.C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 234: 639–646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verhagen, H.J. 1992. Method for artificial beach nourishment,Coastal Engin. 3: 2474–2485.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GEOLITTOMER-Brest-UMR 6554-CNRS, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Place Nicolas Copernic, F-29280, Plouzané, France

    Suanez Serge

  2. CAGEP-URA 903-CNRS, Institut de Géographie, Université de Provence, 29 Av. Robert Schuman, 13621, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Bruzzi Carole

Authors
  1. Suanez Serge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bruzzi Carole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Suanez Serge.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Suanez, S., Bruzzi, C. Shoreline management and its implications for coastal processes in the eastern part of the Rhône delta. J Coast Conserv 5, 1–12 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02802734

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02802734

Keywords

Search

Navigation