FAQ – The Audomarois marsh and other marshes in the North and in France
Answers to your questions about the differences between the Audomarois marsh and other marshes
Welcome to our FAQ dedicated to the comparative exploration of the exceptional marshes that adorn Hauts-de-France and the whole of France.
We invite you to discover and compare the Audomarois marsh, a true natural jewel of the North, with other remarkable spaces such as the Cotentin marshes, the Brière marsh, the Poitevin marsh and the famous hortillonnages of Amiens. Each of these sites has unique characteristics and a rich historical heritage.
Our FAQ will attempt to provide you with practical, historical and cultural information to help you better understand these natural treasures, and appreciate the diversity of wetlands that enhance our French heritage.
The Audomarois marsh and the Poitevin marsh are two important wetlands in France, but they have several notable differences:
Size: The Audomarois marsh covers an area of 37 km² (3 hectares), while the Poitevin marsh extends over a much larger area of 726 hectares.
Location: The Audomarois marsh is located in the North of France, extending over 15 communes of Pas-de-Calais and Nord. The Poitevin marsh, meanwhile, is located in the West of France, between Niort and the Baie de l'Aiguillon.
Agricultural activity: The Audomarois marsh remains today the only marsh of this size still cultivated for market gardening in France, with nearly fifty different vegetables grown. On the other hand, the Poitevin marsh has been largely drained and used for growing cereals.
Acknowledgement : The Audomarois marsh was designated a Ramsar site and declared the “twelfth French biosphere reserve” by UNESCO in 2013. The Poitevin marsh is labeled a Regional Natural Park and a Grand Site of France.
Landscape: The Audomarois marsh is characterized by its canals called watringues or watergang. The Poitevin marsh is known for its "Green Venice", a part of the wet marsh crisscrossed by canals lined with trees.
Tourism : Although both marshes offer tourist activities, the Poitevin marsh has a more developed tourist vocation, notably with its traditional boat trips in the Green Venice.
The Audomarois marsh and the Amiens hortillonnages are two remarkable wetlands in France, but they have several significant differences:
Size: The Audomarois marsh is much larger, covering an area of 3 hectares (726 km²), while the Amiens hortillonnages are around 37,26 hectares.
Hydrographic network: The Audomarois marsh has a more extensive hydrographic network, with 170 km of rivers (wateringues) and 560 km of ditches (watergangs). The Amiens hortillonnages have a network of canals estimated at 65 km.
Biodiversity: The Audomarois marsh is home to exceptional biodiversity, with 2 listed species (fauna, flora and fungi) and 600% of the regional aquatic flora. The Amiens hortillonnages, although rich in biodiversity, do not present such diversity. For comparison, we find as many species of birds in the Saint-Omer marsh as in the Marquenterre.
International Reconnaissance: The Audomarois marsh benefits from several international labels, notably the Ramsar classification (wetland of international importance) and the status of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Agricultural activity: The Audomarois marsh is considered the last cultivated and inhabited marsh in France, with a market gardening tradition dating back to the 35th century. The hortillonnages of Amiens are also known for their market gardening, but on a smaller scale (with the hortillons, market gardeners of the hortillonnages). It should be noted that while a few hortillons remain for the ultra-local consumption of vegetables, the Audomarois marsh still has 450 farming families exploiting XNUMX hectares of market gardening land.
Tourism: The Amiens hortillonnages welcome many more visitors each year than the St Omer marsh. This is explained by the fact that Saint-Omer only developed its tourist activities late. If during the 90th century there were already boat rental companies in the Audomarois marshes (for example, the Moulin Rouge guinguette and the Pont Mathilde pier), the offer became known beyond the borders of the region thanks to companies created during the 80s. The classification of the Romelaere reserve in the 2013s and the UNESCO recognition in XNUMX fully contributed to the reputation that the marsh enjoys today. But we have some catching up to do!
The Audomarois marsh and the Cotentin marsh are two important wetlands in France, but they have several notable differences:
Size: The Audomarois marsh covers an area of 3 hectares (726 km²)37,26, while the Cotentin marsh is much larger, extending over approximately 5 km1500.
Location: The Audomarois marsh is located in the North of France, extending over 15 communes of Pas-de-Calais and Nord5. The Cotentin marsh is located in Normandy, straddling the departments of Manche and Calvados.
Hydrographic network: LThe Audomarois marsh has a dense hydrographic network, with 170 km of rivers (wateringues) and 560 km of ditches (watergangs). The Cotentin marsh does not mention precise figures for its hydrographic network (but given the surface area, this figure must be considerable).
Acknowledgement : The Audomarois marsh is designated a Ramsar site and declared a “Biosphere Reserve” by UNESCO. The Cotentin marsh is part of a Regional Natural Park.
Agricultural activity: The Audomarois marsh is considered the last cultivated and inhabited marsh in France, with a market gardening tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. The Cotentin marsh is mainly characterized by grazed or mown meadows.
Biodiversity: The Audomarois marsh is home to 2 listed species (fauna, flora and fungi) and 600% of the regional aquatic flora. The Cotentin marsh does not provide precise figures on its biodiversity.
The Audomarois marsh and the Brière marsh are two important wetlands in France, but they have several notable differences:
Size: The Audomarois marsh covers an area of 3 hectares, while the Grande Brière marsh extends over 726 hectares.
Hydrographic network: The Audomarois marsh has a denser network with 170 km of rivers (wateringues) and 560 km of ditches (watergangs). The Grande Brière marsh has 140 km of canals.
Property Status: The Audomarois marsh is a territory recognized by various designations (Ramsar Site, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). Its approximately 13 plots are privately owned (divided among 000 owners). We find this configuration in the Brière marsh. However, it should be noted that for the latter, it is a large joint ownership between the inhabitants of the surrounding communes.
Management : The Grande Brière marsh is managed by the Grande Brière Mottière Syndicate Commission, while the Audomarois marsh is managed by the Caps et Marais d'Opale Regional Natural Park, Eden 62, the Wateringues, the Hauts de Flandres Community of Communes and the Saint-Omer Country Urban Community.
Traditional activities: The Audomarois marsh is known for its market gardening, a tradition dating back to the 7th century. The Brière marsh has long been associated with peat harvesting (clods) and livestock farming.
Biodiversity: The Audomarois marsh is home to 2 listed species and 600% of the regional aquatic flora.
There are several other wetlands and marshes in Hauts-de-France:
The Scarpe-Escaut area: It is one of two wetlands of national or international importance selected by France in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, along with the Audomarois marsh.
Marine and coastal environments: They include dune flats and back-coastal marshes.
Ponds and wetlands resulting from mining subsidence: They form the third major wetland unit in the region.
The Rotten Swamp : Located on the border of the municipalities of Ham and Norrent-Fontes, it is a 137-hectare wetland area made up of market garden plots, watercress beds, woods, old peat bogs, a reed bed and a watercourse fed by artesian wells.
The Guines Marsh, extending over 160 hectares between Ardres and Guines.
It is important to note that despite the existence of these wetlands, they are generally in decline in the region, despite their importance for water management and biodiversity.
