Masters Theses

Date of Award

6-1983

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Geography

Major Professor

Theodore H. Schmudde

Committee Members

John Rehder, James Carter

Abstract

The natural environment of the Crau of southern France is a plain covered with stony, porous soils and the climate has a long dry summer. This study is an investigation of the process that overcame the natural liabilities of drought and poor soils to make the Crau into an area of productive agriculture. The historical development of irrigation is investigated along with the corresponding agricultural practices, the water management techniques, the role of private and public financing and the ecological consequences.

Although it was not his primary goal, irrigation was first developed by Adam de Craponne who diverted the Durance River waters for water power. From that beginning, the water and silt of the Durance River have been used to develop the Crau. The silt sediment of the Durance River waters was used by farmers to create soils on their land (warping) and transform them into productive areas. The Crau was so successful that other areas along the lower Durance River turned to irrigation. This lead to the appearance of periodic summer droughts early in this century because the natural summer flow of the Durance was inadequate. To solve this problem, the Durance River was regulated by a series of reservoirs and canals built after World War II and financed by the national government. The result has been a guaranteed water supply adequate to meet current and expected irrigation demands of the Crau.

Hay production combined with sheep raising was the traditional agricultural system of the Crau and is still dominant. However, a decline in hay production occurred with the loss of the Algerian market after after its independence in 1962. In this same period displaced French nationals from Algeria as well as fruit and vegetable growers from near by cities took up land in the Crau and introduced new irrigation techniques, such as spray and drip, and new types of agriculture, and drip irrigation could not use the water from the Durance River with its high silt content and so farmers using these practices turned to the Spray clearer water available in the ground. These new irrigation practices costly, but they used small areas much more intensively to were more compensate.

Today the Crau is one of the richest agricultural regions of the country because it produces earlier than any other region, the development of the new techniques created a new equilibrium which Due to the regulation of the Durance River However, may have negative effects. much of the silt is deposited behind the dams and building better soil by There is also a concern that the more warping is no longer possible. intensive use of clear groundwater may leach the soils created by four centuries of silt deposition associated with gravity irrigation.

Though there currently is an overabundance of water in the Crau, there is little additional land available to be developed even if there were sediments for warping. The present agricultural system is still largely tied to the production of hay and its sale to horse racing teams and should retain its Importance as long as hay sells for a high price.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS