Alluvial wetland

Located in the valley bottoms of rivers, an area including riverine habitats (islets, shingle beaches, river banks, etc) and alluvial water-dependent areas (flood-prone meadows, peat bogs, oxbows, riparian forests, alluvial forests, water dependent areas, etc) and wetland headwaters (including peatlands). Alluvial wetlands are biodiversity reservoirs and often habitats for the breeding or resting of many protected animal species. Their more or less long-term storage capacity prevents flood risk by reducing the intensity of floods and replenishes the flow at low-flow. Most of them are involved in recharging groundwater and cleaning wastewater. Wetlands have high landscape value. Through their many functions, they participate in the quantitative and qualitative management of water resources.