Technical visits 

Tuesday and Thursday will be devoted to technical visits in the region to illustrate the themes.

A comprehensive programme of technical visits is currently being developed.

  • Technical visits are NOT included in the registration fees. See prices below
  • The number of participants will be limited.
  • Reservations will be handled on a first come- first served basis.
  • Participation in technical visits is strictly limited to individuals registered for the congress.

Technical Visit 1 : Société du Canal de Provence

Smart irrigation: from plant-level management to regional planning for water and energy efficiency in the Canal de Provence area

  • Date and time: October 13, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Departure / return: Marseille Chanot
  • Included: bus transportation and lunch
  • Visit language: English
  • Participation fee : 80€ TTC

A historic and innovative player in water management, the Société du Canal de Provence (SCP) is exceptionally opening its sites to congress participants for an immersive experience at the heart of a unique multi-purpose hydraulic system in Europe. This technical visit offers the opportunity to discover how smart irrigation, supported by remote management systems, enables efficient and sustainable water use at all scales.

The day will alternate between technical presentations, infrastructure visits, and field observations in the Canal de Provence area.

Programme

  • Société du Canal de Provence headquarters – Le Tholonet
    Presentation of the Control Center (CTG) and discovery of the REIMU system – Multi-use Intelligent Water Networks
  • Saint-Maximin irrigation perimeter
    Visit to the operations center with a focus on the innovative solutions and technologies implemented on site.

Technical Visit 2 – Provençal Institutions

From field-scale innovation to multi-use water resource management at the river basin level: Provençal institutions supporting agroecological transition and water efficiency

  • Date and time: Tuesday, October 13, from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Departure / return: Marseille Chanot
  • Included: bus transportation and lunch
  • Language: English
  • Participation fee : 80€ TTC

This technical visit offers a cross-cutting perspective on water management in Provence, highlighting the strong links between agricultural innovation, institutional support, and collective governance of water resources at territorial scale. From individual agricultural plots to the Durance river basin, it showcases how Provençal stakeholders combine experimentation, agroecological transition, and efficient water use in a context of climate change and increasing pressure on water resources.

The day will alternate between site visits, institutional meetings, and discussions on drought crisis management, based on concrete examples of cooperation between the agricultural sector and water management authorities.

Programme

  • MED'Agri – Avignon Exhibition Center
    A dedicated tour of innovative agriculture within the MED’Agri trade fair.
  • Le Pugère Agricultural Center
    Discovery of a reference site for agronomic experimentation, featuring 17 hectares of eco-responsible orchards.
  • Meetings at SMAVD headquarters (Mixed Union for the Development of the Durance Valley)
    Discussions with SMAVD, EDF, and the Durance Executive Commission (CED) on water resource management at the river basin scale.

Technical Visit 3 – Compagnie du Bas Rhône Languedoc (BRL)


From the Rhône River to the field: major hydraulic infrastructures, remote management and experimentation in support of Mediterranean irrigation

  • Date and time: Tuesday, October 13, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Departure / return: Marseille Chanot
  • Included: bus transportation and lunch
  • Languages: French – English
  • Participation fee : 80€ TTC

This technical visit offers an in-depth immersion into the irrigation system operated by the Compagnie du Bas Rhône Languedoc (BRL), a key player in hydraulic development in the Occitanie region. It highlights the structuring role of major water transfer infrastructures from the Rhône River, combined with advanced remote management systems, as well as their integration with agronomic experimentation at field scale.

From pumping stations to fruit orchard trials, the visit illustrates the complementarity between modernised historical infrastructure, optimised water resource management, and technical support for Mediterranean agriculture.

Programme

  • Aristide Dumont Pumping Station – Pichegu
    Discovery of an emblematic structure of the Regional Hydraulic Network, which lifts water from the Rhône River and channels it through a 1 km canal to the entire BRL irrigation perimeter, covering approximately 50,000 hectares.
  • Mas d’Asport Experimental Station – Saint-Gilles
    Visit to a 35-hectare experimental estate owned by the Gard Departmental Council, dedicated to the testing and dissemination of agricultural and irrigation techniques adapted to Mediterranean fruit crops (peaches, apricots, cherries, olives).

Technical Visit 4 – Hydraulic Heritage

The Merle Water Divider: a strategic hydraulic structure in the Crau plain

  • Date and time: Thursday, October 15, from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM
  • Departure / return: Marseille Chanot
  • Included: bus transportation
  • Languages: French – English
  • Participation fee : 40€ TTC

This technical visit offers the opportunity to discover the Partiteur du Merle, an emblematic heritage hydraulic structure located in the heart of the Crau plain. Built around 1785, this structure is a key node in the local hydraulic system, based on collective water management rules that have remained in place for over two centuries.

At the crossroads of heritage, agricultural, and environmental challenges, the visit will provide insight into the functioning of an ancient and complex gravity-fed water distribution system, while placing it in the context of contemporary issues such as climate change, multi-purpose water resource management, and ecosystem preservation.

Programme

  • The Merle Water Divider – Crau
    Presentation of this strategic hydraulic structure, which today supplies approximately 8,000 irrigated hectares, ensures drinking water supply for three municipalities, and contributes significantly to the recharge of the Crau aquifer.
  • Gravity irrigation at Domaine du Merle
    Observation of gravity-fed irrigation of Crau meadows at the Domaine du Merle, a site dedicated to agricultural experimentation, demonstration, and training.

Speakers

  • Marylène Bonfillon, PhD in History, Deputy Mayor of Salon-de-Provence
  • Antoine Bonfillon, President of the Canal du Congrès, in charge of the Merle Water Divider
  • Alice Vache, Departmental Federation of Hydraulic Structures of Bouches-du-Rhône