Garonne river reaches reinforced alert level due to drought

The Garonne river has reached a ‘reinforced alert’ threshold due to significant rainfall deficits and intense heat, according to an announcement from the Haute-Garonne prefecture. The river has moved from level 2 (alert) to level 3 on a four-level scale used to manage water withdrawals based on flow rates.

New restrictions are being implemented to preserve water resources through the end of October. These measures primarily impact the agricultural sector, where the prohibition of crop irrigation has increased from two days to 3.5 days per week within the Garonne basin. Additionally, restrictions on watering vegetable gardens have been expanded to include the hours of 8:00 to 20:00 and midnight to 4:00.

To maintain river flow, water releases from reservoirs have been occurring continuously since early July at record levels. Authorities noted that no significant rainfall is expected in the coming days to alleviate the low water levels.