Holcim Granulats France

Objective

To manage a sand and gravel pit rehabilitation with the aim to promote the diversity of biotopes for fauna and flora on the former extraction site.

Context

For the Lorrain region the alluvial plain in place on this site was rather common. It was decided to improve the biodiversity of the site by building a large water pond showing a wide range of environment and species.

Solution

To increase the number of natural environments (and therefore of species) existing on the site by processing to a specific, accurate and monitored excavation work during the last step of the rehabilitation plan.

This is to take advantage of the natural variation of water level, which will lead to natural colonization of submersed and/or ground plants; this leading to the colonization of an adapted fauna for these habitats.

Result

Many different biotopes are presents on the rehabilitated site as for example : reed bed, mudflat, islet just showing on the surface of water (one shelter a batrachian pond), pebble banks for the plovers group birds, “wet” grove (under water level during high water period).