Fifth river basin in French Alps placed under highest drought alert

The middle Arve basin, known as Arve median, was moved to crisis level, the fourth and highest stage of the department’s drought alert system.

Authorities said the restrictions on water use already in effect across the department will remain in place until Oct. 30.

Five basins are now under crisis-level restrictions: the lower and middle Arve, the Dranses, the Cheran and the Usses.

The Fier and southwestern Lake Geneva basin remain under reinforced alert, while the Genevois and upper Arve basins are under alert.

Under crisis-level measures, only priority water uses are permitted, including drinking water supply, the survival of aquatic species, watering animals, civil protection and public health and sanitation needs.

The measures come amid persistent drought conditions in Haute-Savoie, where water levels have fallen significantly in several rivers, and some tributaries have dried up.

Earlier, it was reported that the U.S. Department of the Interior finalized new rules requiring Arizona, California, and Nevada to reduce their use of Colorado River water by a combined 1.54 billion cubic meters annually in 2027 and 2028, as the river basin faces prolonged drought and record-low reservoir levels.