Commune of
The Marais de Courmelois is located within the vast marshes of the Vesle. These constitute one of the vastest marshy areas of chalky Champagne after the marshes of Saint-Gond.
Located around the agglomeration of Reims, they covered more than 2,000 hectares at the beginning of the 20th century.
The richness of the Marais de Courmelois is recognized by the European Natura 2000 network since it is integrated into the Natura 2000 site N°39 "Marais de la Vesle upstream of Reims:
CENCA has been managing the ZT-21 and ZT-22 plots of the "Marais de Courmelois" site since 2011 under the management agreement signed with the Municipality of Val-de-Vesle, owner of the site (An amendment to this agreement was signed in 2016 to add plots Z-38 and Z-366 to this perimeter):
The Marais de la Vesle belong to a plant formation typical of chalky Champagne, the flat alkaline peat bog. Many sectors were drained, then cultivated, converted into poplar plantations, exploited for peat, urbanized. Despite this, there are still a few unspoiled areas that can let the fauna and flora express themselves: the Marais de Courmelois is one of them.
The Marais is made up of a mosaic of favorable habitats for the fauna and flora of peat wetlands. In addition, the Marais plays a fundamental role in the regulation of floods and the low water level of the Vesle river which delimits the municipal property.
The Municipality of Val-de-Vesle initiated with the Conservatory of Natural Spaces of Champagne-Ardenne (CENCA) the first restoration works on the site in 2011.
This restoration work consisted of the felling of poplars in order to:
* diversify the floristic procession,
* keep middle open
*
This intervention made it possible to keep the environment open, but the reconquest by shrubs is still a reality in the Marais.
Concerned about its ecological heritage, the Municipality of Val-de-Vesle wishes to continue management actions on the Marais de Courmelois site in order to improve the ecological quality of the wetlands (habitats and flora and fauna species).
In order to support the Municipality in this process, the Champagne-Ardenne Conservatory of Natural Spaces wishes to provide support in setting up a first Natura 2000 contract to set up restoration and maintenance work on the site of the Marais de Courmelois.
The Natura 2000 Marais de la Vesle contract is co-financed by the European Union with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The work undertaken aims to:
* Restore Cladium mariscus megaphorbia and swamp surface
Maintain cladium mariscus megaphorbia and cladium marsh habitats in a good state of conservation
* Limit the presence of woody groves in the sectors concerned.
Total project cost: €72,696.00
Total amount of aid from the European Union: €36,348.00, i.e. 50% of the work
Implementation schedule:
Realization of the operation from 01/01/2019 to 30/06/2022
