Field trips to the Ouveze, l’Eygues, the Lez, l’Yzeron, and the Rhone Rivers gave us a chance to learn new techniques and discuss river conditions and management approaches.
Presentations and discussions occurred in the classroom, on the veranda, around the table, and outdoors in the shade of a flowering linden tree.
The chef prepared beautiful and delicious meals using local fruits, vegetables, and meats, and we sampled wines from the region daily. Picnics features local cheeses, salamis, and fresh baguettes, of course.
And who could forget the local scenery?
Monday 23 June
9h Course introduction, evolution and context of river restoration. Linking restoration objectives to actions, tradeoffs, uncertainty, urban-wilderness continuum, context of EU Water Framework Directive, contrast with US federal and state laws (Kondolf) ** IN THE COURTYARD ***
9h30 Alluvial sediment. Types of sediment problems, grain entrainment, frequency and distribution of disturbance, pebble count demonstration (Kondolf, see Chapter 13)
10h30 Coffee and cookie break
11h Introductions of participants
11h30 Fluvial geomorphology and aquatic/riparian ecology: systems approach. Driving forces, compartments of the systems, nested scales, interactions, adjustment, sensitivity to changes, regional diversity of rivers and biological assemblages (Piégay) ** IN THE CLASSROOM **
12h30 lunch
13h30 Restoring fluvial processes at the river basin scale: California experiences (e.g., Trinity, San Joaquin, Tuolumne) (McBain)
14h30 Restoring fluvial processes at the river basin scale: experiences from large rivers of western North America (e.g., Colorado, Green) (Schmidt)
15h30 Restoring fluvial processes in European rivers, preserving/restoring bank erosion by defining erodible corridor/removing riprap, restoring former channels, reintroducing sediment (Piégay)
16h30 break: free time to hike, swim, explore (optional hikes on own, visit to Beaumont cave)
19h Soils, microclimates, and wines of the region (Cave du Beaumont, other Cotes du Ventoux, Cotes du Rhone tasting)
20h Dinner Provencal, followed by presentation on Mt. Rainier geomorphology (Kennard)
Tuesday 24 June
8h Restoring fluvial processes in European rivers, preserving/restoring bank erosion by defining erodible corridor/removing riprap, restoring former channels, reintroducing sediment (Piégay)
9h Riparian vegetation-channel interactions. Vegetation establishment in relation to geomorphology/hydrology, roughness effects, avulsion, bank stabilization, etc. (Dufour)
10h Wood in rivers. Wood introduction and storage in rivers, wood sources, residence time, effects of wood on geomorphic features and aquatic habitats, ecology and natural hazards (Piégay)
11h30 Overview of the Ouveze/Eygues River basin (Piégay)
12h Lunch & pool break
14h30 Field trip to Ouveze River: Field Techniques (Schmidt, McBain, Kondolf, Dufour):
– Roman Bridge and 1992 flood
– geomorphic diagnosis ,
– field techniques: mapping channel forms and habitats, facies maps/pebble counts, aerial photo analysis to interpret fluvial forms,vegetation surveys
Visit to Gigondas – Roman-era wine cuves, landscape history, impact of vineyard expansion on channels, wines of Gigondas and Cotes du Rhone
Return to Malaucene via the Dentelles de Montmirail
19h30 Adjourn, dinner on own in Vaison/Malaucene/Beaumont (shuttles back to Beaumont can be arranged)
Wednesday 25 June
8h Turn in field notes from Ouveze field trip and courtyard pebble count. Also, turn in recommendations for workshop discussion topics.
8h30 Hydrology and hydraulics, estimating transport rates and their uncertainty : Flood
frequency & flow duration in gaged and ungaged streams, estimating critical discharge and sediment transport rates and their uncertainty (Schmidt)
9h45 Coffee break
10h Fluvial geomorphology : Channel cross section, alternating bars, channel/floodplain interactions, floodplain accretion mechanisms, channel patterns, relating channel dimensions to Q, regional curves, channel response to altering independent variables, effects of dams, gravel mining, canalization (Kondolf)
11h Coffee Break
11h15 Debrief on Field Excursion
11h30 Catchment and channel change in preAlpine Rhone tributaries (Liébault) : land-use history, RTM activity in catchments, channel widening/aggrading and sediment starvation associated with afforestation, sediment mining and torrent regulation.
12h30 Break to prepare for field trip
13h depart to Eygues River basin : catchment change since the 19th century, changing sediment yield, establishment of riparian forest, reflections on ‘reference ecosystems’ (Liébault, Kondolf) picnic lunch in Nyons
17h Workshop on student problems
19h adjourn (dinner on own, shuttle possible to/from Malaucene, Vaison). Optional glass of wine chez Leonard and Melinda.
Thursday 26 June
8h Fluvial geomorphology PART 2: Channel cross section, alternating bars, channel/floodplain interactions, floodplain accretion mechanisms, channel patterns, relating channel dimensions to Q, regional curves, channel response to altering independent variables, effects of dams, gravel mining, canalization (Kondolf)
9h30 Grab coffee and walk down to the “Iberian courtyard” for a workshop/discussion
10h30 Analytical process for developing instream flow needs for regulated rivers (McBain)
11h30 Grab coffee and walk down to the “Iberian courtyard” for a workshop/discussion
12h30h lunch, pool break
14h00 Incorporating sediment transport in channel design. Template vs. explicit design methods, threshold and alluvial channels, logical structure for channel design at the reconnaissance, planning, and design stages. Channel design tools. (Schmidt)
15h15 Grab coffee and walk down to the “Iberian courtyard” for a workshop/discussion
16h15 Trends in restoration monitoring in North America (Jenkinson)
19h Reception featuring wines of the Cotes du Rhone (Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueras)
20h30 Dinner provencal.
Friday 27 June : Field Trip to Rhône, Yzeron, and Ain Rivers (Piégay, Rollet, Kondolf, Lamouroux, Schmitt)
7h30 depart Beaumont
10h arrive Rhône downstream of Pierre Bénite Dam: human impacts, former channel restoration and effects of minimum flow increase on fish communities. Picnic lunch, coffee at nearby café.
13h depart Pierre Bénite
13h30 Arrive Yzeron at Oullins, Francheville, Charbonnieres: Urbanization-induced incision and downstream aggradation, proposed levee set-back and renaturalization (Piégay)
15h30 depart Yzeron
16h30 arrive l’Ain: former channel restoration, sediment augmentation near Varambon (Piégay, Rollet)
18h30 depart to Lyon
19h30 dinner on own in vieux Lyon
21h30 stay in Lyon or return to Beaumont
Institut Beaumont 
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