Deluge then Drought

The Garelle frequently all but dries up in summer and in the many dry winters of recent years has been barely a trickle. So far 2014 has been worryingly dry and as the photos above show so is the Garelle. Even the pools and damp moss patches have gone. The UK has witnessed the wettest winter on record in places.

By contrast March 2013 was the wettest here since perhaps 1946; it was in Montpellier with 215 mm and north of Montpellier around the Pic St Loup 2013 had the wettest March on record. These pictures from the same spots were taken after these rains.

2013 also saw late spring rains. As well as losing all the almond crop in March several varieties of apricots were lost in April and May to flowering inhibiting deluges. At the time of typing there is little rain in the forecast.

Ruisseau de la Garelle

Aspiran is sited in the gap created by the Garelle in the side of the Hérault valley. It frequently all but dries up in summer and in recent dry winters has been barely a trickle. March 2013 has been the wettest March since perhaps 1946; it was in Montpellier with 215 mm and near the Pic St Loup north of Montpellier the wettest March on record.

The source of the Garelle, rather unromantically no more than a series of drainage ditches by vineyards, is barely a Km from the village off the Rue Saint-Georges.

 

From the bridge on Rue de la Chapelle

  

The gué (ford) by Rue de Souville down from the port on Rue de l'Enfer