The ’ARCACHON’ Basin .
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Environment respect
The ’ARCACHON ’ Basin . French writer Saturday 18th March 2006
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The ’ARCACHON’ Basin .
. . In our study, we will talk about the protection of the French littoral. To illustrate this topic we decided to work specifically on the protection of the Arcachon Basin. First we will investigate « The academy of the littoral », then we will study the Arcachon Basin and, lastly we will see how the Arcachon Basin is protected. I/The littoral Academy. The academy of the littoral is a member of « The World Nature Union ». Its a public organization which was created in 1975. Its aim is to protect the French coast (natural spaces and landscapes). The littoral Academy can intervene in French metropolitain and overseas departments. This Littoral Academy acquires grounds that are fragile or threatened, or at risk . It then conducts the necessary restoration work. After ,the Academy entrusts the management of the grounds to the communities or associations which oversee the general management of the grounds. Specialists consult with the associations on how to best manage the sites to preserve their natural beauty and spendour.. By July 1st, 2004 this organization had protected 70 500 hectares out of 300 natural sets, representing approximately 860 km of Maritime shores. Its annual budget is about 30M €. 25M € are allocated to the aquisition and restoration activities of the sites. The bulk of these funds comes from the state. The littoral Academy team is relatively small : one hundred people and the management, 150 guards of the littoral and approximatly 300 youth employees are the reason it operates so well
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The ’ARCACHON’ Basin .
II/ The Arcachon Basin The Arcachon Basin is located in the south western part of France in the Aquitaine region. This vast area of salt water with a surface of 155 km2 spans across twelve townships of about 100,000 inhabitants. The Arcachon Basin is a vast triangular notch of the Aquitanian Littoral , measuring 155 km2 with 80 km of interior beaches. It is almost closed off by the Cape Tag , measuring a mere 3km, which flows
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The ’ARCACHON’ Basin .
into the ocean . At high tide, in the center, the Island of Birds ( 1 km2) emerges with 4 km of beaches.
Les Cabanes Tchanquées
The Arcachon Basin is well-known for the 2 cabanes tchanquées which are located on the « Island of Birds ». We can see them on the 2 pictures above The Arcachon Basin receives water from the Ocean which enters via the master keys and receives a certain amount of fresh water, from brooks and rivers. The Arcachon Basin is caracterized by its tides. They change every 6 hours. With the strong low tides, 115 km2 are reveated and 40 km2 only remain covered in channels of which the depth does not exceed 25 meters. The Range of the tide is almost 5 meters by strong coefficient and 1,1 meter by low coefficient. The movement of water in the Basin is significant with closed-circuit currents in one direction or the other. The Arcachon Basin is composed of different coasts :
- the coast « naroît » of the Cape Tag to Light constitutes a true peninsula separating the Basin from the Ocean. Its average width doesnt exceed 1.5 km. In fact this peninsula constitutes a curtain which attenuates the violence of the Atlantic winds. (The agglomerations Cape-Tag, the grass, the gun, piquey,Jacquets, Claouey, Lights spread out south in north on the face of this peninsula).
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The ’ARCACHON’ Basin .
-« The East coast » is different from the « the Naroit coast » because of the absence of dunes , a lower altitude and by the abundance of brooks. Port of Biganos ,of Light and all the little towns also have their own port : Audange, Lanton, Andernos, Taussat, Arès. These ports are located at the L mouth of a brook !
-« The southern coast », between Teich and Arcachon is comprised of muddy and sandy beaches. The ports there are more accessible and more significant than those of the East coast. The most active of which are in Gujan-Mestras, Hume and Tests where there are oyster beds. Fishing and tourism are the most important activities of Arcachon . III/ The different sites which are protected on the Arcachon Basin. First of all we will talk about the Cape Tag. The surface which is protected in this area , is 260 hectares. The Littoral Academy acquired these grounds from 1980 to 2002. To protect these grounds 4 Acts have been signed. The management of this site is entrusted by the General Council of the Gironde region and by the council of Light Cape-Tag. The site which is protected in the Cape-Tag is the Dunes site which is located on the western front of the peninsula. This local area is well known for its lighthouse (which is one of the best French lighthouses )
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The ’ARCACHON’ Basin .
Then, lets look at the Dune du Pilat. It is located on the town « La teste de Bush » and its surface measures 31 hectares. The Littoral Academy acquired it in 1998. Now, the General Council of the Gironde region owns it. This dune is the largest in Europe (2700m).
Chloé , Emma Term.8S
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