General National Id Switzerland_01 Site name Seymaz river Summary The Seymaz renaturation project takes place in Switzerland, along the Seymaz river which is located in the eastern part of Geneva canton. The project consists in several renaturation measures: eliminating concrete casts, softing riverbanks and widening riverbed. A wetland (marshland) is also re-created. The project is part of the cantonal program which aims at improving ecological and countryside quality and reducing flood risk by managing peakflows. Two stakeholders groups have been involved in the project implementation: the Charte Seymaz group (“negociation” group on the renaturation program which include all concerned stakeholders) and the management group (Responsible for coordinating and managing the local arrangements). A main constraint of the project have been the nature of land use and property in the area concerned by the NWRM, since famers were mostly impacted by the project and first opposed to it. Light or indepth? In-depth The in-depth description of the case study cs-ch-01-final_version.pdf NUTS Code Ticino RBD code CH50 Transboundary 0 Data provider Anaïs HANUS, ACTeon Source(s) La Seymaz Les arrangements locaux et la durabilité de nouvelles activités rurales : le cas de la renaturation de la Haute-Seymaz (local arrangements and sustainability of new rural activities : the Haute-Seymaz renaturation case study) Renaturation de la Seymaz NWRM(s) implemented in the case study Stream bed re-naturalization Removal of dams and other longitudinal barriers Wetland restoration and management Longitude 6.180665 Latitude 46.198248 Site information Climate zone cool temperate moist Mean rainfall 971 Mean rainfall unit mm/year Average temperature 9,80000019073486 Average imperviousness 0,0900000035762787 Type Case Study Info Average slope range 1-2% Vegetation class Agricultural land use includes cereals, and some vineyards and vegetable crops. Artificial land is mostly for residential use. Monitoring maintenance Monitoring impacts effects 1 Monitoring location In-Stream Monitoring parameters Water flows are measured in different sites of Seymaz river (at least 3). Temperature and ecological status have been studies punctually. Water quality is monitored: - physic-chimical quality through parameters: nitrogen, phosphorous, metal, pesticides, organic carbon - ecological quality through two parameters: benthic macrofauna and diatomees Performance Performance impact estimation method Catchment outlet Performance impact estimation information physic-chimical quality is measured every 6 years and ecological quality between every 1 to every 8 years Design & implementations Application scale River Installation date 2005-01 Age 7 Performance timescale 1 - 4 years Area (ha) 2920 Area subject to Land use change or Management/Practice change (ha) 400 Size 5,09999990463257 Size unit km Design capacity description About 800 000m3 can be retained in the treated area thanks to several NWRM and some other retention ponds. Constraints Main contraints concerned land use, mostly agricultural lands, which was to be impacted by the project Favourable preconditions Seymaz river basin used to be partly a wetland before being drained; natural hydrology could be restored Management change from cereal cropping Management change to natural land management Outflow volume 4 Outflow volume unit m3/sec Peak flow rate 15,5 Public consultation 1 Design contractual arrangement Arrangement type Responsibility Role Comments Name Contractual agreement farm owners and farmers have received financial compensation, either for selling their land or keeping it and managing it respecting a †œnature contract†. The payment was function of the number of concerned hectares. Moreover, punctual compensations have been done, for instance during works periods and for a loss of three year yields during when land was leveled. Farmers also beneficiated for tax advantages. The State also created a fund for regional agriculture promotion, beneficiating for land sales. The renaturation department transferred 1,9million CHF to this fund. Contrats Nature Design consultation activity Activity stage Key issues Name Comments Design phase Charte Seymaz Implementation phase Design land use change Land use change type Natural grasslands Design authority Authority type Role Responsibility Name Comments Other Financing Grand Conseil and Conseil d†™Etat of Genève State Responsible for voting two laws/programs on Seymaz renaturation Local water authority Initiation of the measure Geneve Canton: Genaral Direction of Water, renaturation of rivers and banks service ; Genaral Direction of Nature and Landscape ; Agriculture and the environment Department Responsible authority for the implementation of the renaturation program Farmers Determination of design details of the measure Members of the Charte Seymaz group (all actors concerned by the project) †œnegociation† group on the renaturation program NGO Local water authority Determination of design details of the measure Members of the management group Responsible for coordinating and managing the local arrangements Lessons, risks, implications... Key lessons The project has enabled land use regulation through social solidarity and economic efficiency, taking local interests into account in addition to global interests (regarding floods and biodiversity). This can have facilitated the acceptation and success of its implementation. Moreover, the measure happens to be more cost-efficient than previous projects of flood regulation. Financing mechanism 1 Financing mechanism information Compensation schema: farm owners and farmers have received financial compensation, either for selling their land or keeping it and managing it respecting a †œnature contract†. The payment was function of the number of concerned hectares. Moreover, punctual compensations have been done, for instance during works periods and for a loss of three year yields during when land was leveled. Farmers also beneficiated for tax advantages. The State also created a fund for regional agriculture promotion, beneficiating for land sales. The renaturation department transferred 1,9million CHF to this fund. Financing difficulties 0 Success factor(s) Success factor type Success factor role Comments Existing institutional framework main factor Specific incentives for stakeholder involvement secondary factor Financing possibilities main factor Public participation main factor Financing Financing type Comments Local funds The main funding sources were: - the cantonal renaturation fund (45millions CHF) - the two laws on renaturation voted by Geneve State (27 million CHF) Incentives were used through compensations forward famers who sold their land or sign in a †œnature contract† regarding the way to manage it. Private funding has been made Barrier Barrier type Barrier role Comments Other main barrier Main implementation barriers have been: - the importance of property rights, mostly farmers ones, and the difficulty to deal with land property - the negotiation with farmers, highly impacted by the project and who were initially †œagainst† a total renaturation project. Their involvement in the decision process, the negotiation of compensations and decisions such as the non-expropriation of farmers or the †œdrainage right†, had to be discussed and taken into account. - previous conflicts that had occurred between farmers and nature organizations - non-expropriation has finally became a conflict factor Attitude of relevant stakeholders secondary barrier Driver Driver type Driver role Comments Past flooding events main driver Land use constraints have been the initiator factor to the implementation of the measure, since frequent floods happened to occur on farmlands in the Seymaz basin itself, linked to the artificialisation of the river during the past centuries. Floods in the urban areas downstream were already a problem. Political context, legislation and existing funding sources have been a main factor leading the choice for the implementation of the NWRM, instead of †œtraditional† works for flood management. Organisation committed to it secondary driver Availability of subsidies secondary driver Financing share Financing share type Share Comments National funds 100 View Private funds View Policy, general governance and design targets Policy description The Seymaz renaturation project is part of the cantonal program which aims at improving ecological and countryside quality and reducing flood risk by managing peakflows.. Corresponding WFD pressures are: 4.1.2 Physical alteration of channel/bed/riparian area/shore of water body for agriculture 4.3.1 Flow diversions/hydrological alteration †“ agriculture 4.3.1 Flow diversions/hydrological alteration †“ agriculture Policy target Target purpose Improved Biodiversity Runoff control Increase Water Storage Policy pressure Pressure directive Relevant pressure Policy area Policy area type Policy area focus Name Comments Policy impact Impact directive Relevant impact Policy wider plan Wider plan type Wider plan focus Name Comments Local Environment & Biodiversity Renaturation framework Action Plan The project aims at improving rivers ecological and landscape quality and reducing flood risks. Those requirements are mentioned by a federal legislation (Law on rivers amenagements in 1991 and ordonance on water protection in 1998) and aimed by the program implemented by Geneve State (Renaturation framework Action Plan in 1999). Water Policy requirement directive Requirement directive Specification Socio-economic Direct benefits information Benefits are: - Flood security and protection: reduction of flood damages in urban areas (houses, school, roads...) - creation of a touristic area for the inhabitants of Geneve canton. The area now benefits from a positive image which has a positive impact on tourism. - landscape conservation Ancillary benefits information Indirect benefits are: - benefit for farmers by selling products on their farm from this increasing number of visitors - employment (agritourism, works) Costs investment 23600000 Costs capital 22000000 Costs capital information Investments financed by specific laws on renaturation Costs land acquisition 1600000 Costs land acquisition unit € (total value) Costs land acquisition information This amount was transferred from the renaturation department to the regional,agriculture promotion fund in order to finance compensations linked to losses of agricultural lands Costs operation maintenance 37000000 Costs operation maintenance Including: 15 million € for works financed by Cantonal renaturation fund 22 million € for functioning Costs operational 37000000 Costs total 61000000 Compensations annual 230000 Compensations annual information Total amount was of 1,6million€. Compensations basis unit €/ha Compensations basis information The price for compensations was: 1,6€/m2 for farmers (owners or not) And 819€/ha more for farmers who didn't sell their lands Compensations scheme information Compensation schema: farm owners and farmers have received financial compensation, either for selling their land or keeping it and managing it respecting a †œnature contract†. The payment was function of the number of concerned hectares. Moreover, punctual compensations have been done, for instance during works periods and for a loss of three year yields during when land was leveled. Farmers also beneficiated for tax advantages. The State also created a fund for regional agriculture promotion, beneficiating for land sales. The renaturation department transferred 1,6million € to this fund. Ecosystem improved biodiversity 1 Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity Seymaz renaturation have recreated a wetland habitat which acts as a refuge for fauna and is a resting place for migratory birds. Flora such as rubanier dressé, laí®che faux souchet, scrofulaire auriculée, samole de Valerand and lagratiole officinale can now be observed in the wetland. Such species are priority in Switzerland and concerned by specific action palns. Farm plants such as bleuet, épiaire annuelle, véronique luisante, linaire élatine, linaire bâtarde, renoncule scélérate and bident triparti are also observed. Seymaz river is also recognized as a nesting site for amphibians. Ecosystem provisioning services 0 Ecosystem water supply 0 Ecosystem impact climate regulation No information available Biophysical impacts Information on increased water storage 800000m3 Ecosystem erosion control 1 Information on Ecosystem erosion control Infiltration in riverbeds is higher. Erosion is limited but enough for ecosystems. Water quality overall improvements Positive impact-WQ improvement Information on Water quality overall improvements Water quality have improved after renaturation (from medium to good) but it still needs to be monitored. Soil quality overall soil improvements N/A info Full Context Pathway(aka Context) Default view Area(aka Level or Site) ALL