River Hero: Charlie Pichon

Charlie Pichon is in charge of ecological continuity at the Pyrénées-Atlantique Fishing Federation, in France. His journey into river restoration began 15 years ago during his university studies, where he first learned about dam removal as a method to improve aquatic ecosystem health. Since then, Charlie has led numerous river restoration projects across the South-West of France, one of which earned the nomination for the 2023 Dam Removal Award. Learn more about his journey into the river restoration field and his advice for the next generation of River Heroes.

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Welcome Charlie! What do you do for a living?
[Charlie] I work for the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Fishing Fédération. It’s an NGO that has two objectives: (1) preservation of aquatic environments and (2) promotion of recreational fishing. More specifically, I work on projects that diagnose the permeability of dams, monitor freshwater fish population and execute dam removal projects.

How did you find out that river barriers can be removed? 
[Charlie] I took a course specialising in aquatic ecosystems during my university studies 15 years ago. Although it was uncommon at the time, river professionals already knew that it was often the best way to restore rivers. In France, we had emblematic examples in the past, with the Maisons-Rouges (Vienne River) and Saint-Etienne-du-Vigan (Allier River) dams, back in 1998.

When did you decide that you also wanted to free rivers?
[Charlie] I first worked for a nature park which had set up a very ambitious program to remove 15 obstacles (dams, culverts, bridges, etc.). We quickly observed the effects on fish habitats and their ability to reach spawning grounds. A major advantage of dam removal is the speed with which results are obtained, at costs that are often lower than other restoration projects. More recently, the action of our Federation (which is an NGO) has been boosted by the arrival of the Open Rivers Programme, which has unlocked new projects that lacked funding.

Since you started your efforts to remove barriers in your home river, what activities have you been doing?
[Charlie] As part of my job, I’m asked to share feedback on dam removal. One of our projects has been selected as a finalist for the Dam Removal Award 2023, and we’re very proud of it.  We are trying to provide technical arguments (with monitoring results) to local funders (notably the Agences de l’Eau in France) to convince them to continue funding these projects.

What is the proudest moment in your efforts to remove a barrier?
[Charlie] The best reward is probably the discovery of salmon spawning grounds upstream of the last dam we removed. This is the first data for several centuries on this upstream stretch of river.

Do you have a take-home message for dam removal project managers and facilitators?
[Charlie] Quite frankly, if there were a miracle recipe, we’d pay dearly for it! Every case is different. Obviously, the most difficult thing, and therefore not to be overlooked, is to get the agreement of all local residents. But you also need to be pragmatic and seize opportunities as they arise.

Sometimes, this opportunity concerns financing, the agreement of a single owner, or a favourable regulatory context.  This can sometimes avoid 10 or 20 years of procedures and consultation, which are not guaranteed to succeed. Unfortunately, some migratory fish don’t have time to wait!

What advice would you give to future river heroes of the younger generation?
[Charlie] If you’re not in the business, it’s essential to find an organization on which you can rely: an NGO (in France, this might be a fishing federation) or a local authority that has the competence and legitimacy to intervene. I think it’s important to emphasise that dam removal is one of the answers to climate change adaptation objectives.