Doubs River dries up near Swiss border, French towns get water tankers

A prolonged drought has caused the Doubs River to run dry for several kilometres along the French‑Swiss border. In the French department of Doubs, the river has disappeared, leaving only rocks and gravel. The situation prompted officials to declare a heightened alarm level.

Mayor Fabien Henriet of Arçon reported that the river flows up to the village before drying up, describing the landscape as “moon‑like and depressing.” Two nearby municipalities, including Arçon and Maisons‑du‑Bois‑Lièvremont, now rely on water tankers to meet residents’ needs. A local reservoir employee said, “If we can’t do anything else, we buy water… they don’t like it, but they have to.”

The drought’s effects extend beyond drinking water: fish are dying, forests are suffering bark beetle attacks, and farmers face reduced milk yields, with one dairy reporting a drop from 25 to 18‑19 litres per cow per day. A cheese factory was close to halting production until emergency water deliveries intervened. The drying of the Doubs illustrates the broader water‑scarcity challenges confronting the region.