Informations directionnelles

Prendre le chemin à droite. A l’intersection, prendre à gauche, puis une cinquantaine de mètres plus loin, prendre de nouveau à gauche. Continuer toujours tout droit jusqu’à une table de lecture des paysages.

Quarries
An activity in the municipal area since the post-war

 

 

A little geology...

The Seine carved out a valley leaving areas of alluvial deposits that today constitute the loops of Moisson and Guernes. The erosion / sedimentation process mainly occurred during periglacial phases when the Seine had a greater flow rate than today. Until the nineteenth century, the river was a moving space whose banks and islands varied with the currents. The meanders of Moisson and Guernes were shaped slowly and continuously, without deteriorating the successive deposits, thus constituting materials that were favourable for aggregate extraction.

 

 

...that promotes activity

The quarry operations in the Guernes loop began after the war, to provide the necessary materials for the reconstruction of Mantois. The sand and gravel extracted are mainly used to make concrete. Lafarge operates the quarry work using a "loader" or a hydraulic shovel. The crude material is then transported by conveyor belt to be calibrated, crushed and washed free of clay. The site employs twenty employees and generates hundreds of indirect jobs. It produces 600 000 tonnes of aggregate per year, transported to customers by road or waterway.

 

 

A compromise between biodiversity and economic activity...

Aggregate extraction has profoundly shaped the landscape and at the same time it has altered the succession of bird species that frequent these sites. The operator took early account of other major issues in Guernes loop area, whether related to the landscape, biodiversity or drinking water resources. Lafarge works in the field with experts and associations to improve their practices and boost the conditions for restoring biodiversity after exploitation. This contribution is has led to many achievements such as creating and restoring wetlands to observe the numerous nesting birds, creating a spawning ground in Guernes, maintaining dry and grazed grassland habitats appreciated by the original birdlife (nesting site of the Eurasian Stone curlew).

 

 

...in an environment of great interest

classified as a Natura 2000 site Natura 2000 is a European Union network of remarkable natural sites. The Guernes loop is listed for the wealth of its environment and its birdlife. These alluvial environments composed of a mosaic of woodlands and open moors are home to an array of flora and fauna (birds, reptiles, insects).