Wild Rhône, a photo from Valais, West

Photographer's Note

A Group of fishermen benefitting from the basins formed at the time of the gravel extraction in the wild Rhone, in Finges.

Why extract the gravel at this place?
Answer:
The revitalization of the alluvial zone constitutes an ecological measure of compensation to the crossing of Finges by theautoroute A9 (prolongation of the motorway which stops currently right before the forest of Finges, at the East exit of Sierre). The enlarging of the easily flooded zone by the displacement or the removal of certain dams requires the developpement of new concept of protection against the risings. This last envisages to compensate for the loss of capacity of haulage of the river, due to the partial derivation of water upstream, by gravel extraction. The extraction must allow to reduce the mean level of the current bed in alluvial zone half upstream to reduce the risks of uncontrolled overflows.
Gravel extraction must make it possible to guide the principal current whenever it would exceed the definite limits. A later raising due to the considerable contribution of Illgraben' material must be avoided. The gravel extraction must make it possible to guide the principal current whenever it would exceed the definite limits. Till 1994, the exploitation was carried out at three precise places, without definite objectives. Since this date, an output program is fixed each year within the framework of an experimental phase. In more of the fixed installations, there is now an itinerant exploitation directly taking the gravel in the bed of the river. Photogrammetric statements and a cartography of the natural values make it possible to delimit the extract ranges and to establish the catalogue of the constraints to be respected.

*Alta vista translation... I hope it means something! ;-)

kajenn has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Rockyboy (20598) 2004-03-23 16:01

C'est pour ça qu'il faut payer une vignette chaque fois qu'on traverse la Suisse! Enfin, si c'est dans un soucis écologique, j'apprécie beaucoup. La note est très instructive et ta photo présente bien ce travail d'extraction du gravier. C'est pour moi une excellente photo reportage.

cecile (4193) 2004-03-23 16:11

merci pour ces explications! composition bien mise en valeur!

kajenn (2454) 2004-03-23 21:07

This is a bit unusual for you, Isabelle. It's a kind of "action shot", with the action on two levels. One: The fishermen, some fishing and some discussing... Two: The preparation for the road construction. That and your note (I get the average meaning from Babel Fish) give an idea of what you're trying to achieve. Without the note it wouldn't work, as the men are too far away and the construction site itself isn't interesting enough. Technically it's very good.
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On my map I find Illgraben, is that a stream or rivulet? I also find Pfynwald, is that the same as the forest of Finges? How far will the autoroute A9 be prolonged? To Brig and the Simplon road, or further up the valley? Has this gravel extraction anything to do with fear of flooding in Brig, like what happened a couple of years ago?