Physical modeling of the third stage of Aire River revitalisation project

In the early XXth Century, a large number of rivers training projects were realized in Europe and most wetlands were drained in order to enlarge the arable land surface and to fight against diseases such as malaria. In 1925 Aire River in Geneva was transformed to a straightline open channel with a concrete bed and smooth herbaceous embankments. On account of resulting environmental impoverishment, specific articles were included in the Law on water resources of Canton Geneva (LEaux-GE, 1961) with the aim of quality improvement of inland waters as well as restoration and revitalisation of rivers. The project of the Aire River could thus be initiated on the basis of lawful objectives.