|
Lez spring The "source du Lez" is located north of the city of Montpellier and has a catchment area of about 150 km², which is mainly characterized by forest and vineyards. The geology is dominated by Jurassic and Cretaceous limestone and exhibit well-developed karst characteristics. The spring discharges in average around 2,200 l/s, but are subject to strong seasonal fluctuations. It feeds the river Lez and is therefore important for the local groundwater-dependent ecosystems. The water is used for the drinking water supply of Montpellier, but also for agricultural irrigation. The main challenges and research priorities are the risk of groundwater pollution and the hydrological function of the spring, in particular the effects of human activity and climate change with regard to flash floods and droughts. |
(source: Google Earth 2019) |
|
|
|
||
Literature
Jourde H. Lafare A, Mazzilli N, Belaud G, Neppel L, Dörfliger N, Cernesson F (2014) Flash flood mitigation as a positive consequence of anthropogenic forcing on the groundwater resource in a karst catchment. Environmental earth sciences, 71(2), 573-583.