Suction dredger works to halt erosion on Lake Neuchatel’s shore

A floating suction dredger is restoring eroded shorelines along Lake Neuchatel, where about one metre of sand disappears each year in the Grande Cariçaie nature reserve, SRF reported. The work will protect a one-kilometre stretch of shoreline.

Erosion caused by waves, boat traffic and strong inflows has made 14,000 cubic metres of sand necessary to restore the banks. The dredger is operating about 350 metres offshore between Cheyres and Yvonand.

The machine digs to a depth of 5.4 metres, sucks up sand under water and pumps it, mixed with water, back to shore to create a gentle slope that waves are less likely to erode. Reeds will then be planted to rebuild the reed belt, Ludovic Piccand, director of the company carrying out the work, told RTS.

Work on two sections has already restored sandy beaches where the water was once 50 centimetres deep. The 900,000-franc project is funded by the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg and the federal government.

Behind the shoreline are valuable natural areas, archaeological sites that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage, and homes about 50 metres from the water. Without intervention, they could be flooded in a few decades, said Michel Baudraz, director of the Grande Cariçaie association. The second phase of work is due to begin in early 2027.