News
Presentation
Many watercourses run through Wallonia. They are divided up as follows, from downstream to upstream :
- Navigable waterways, managed by the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW), Operational Directorate-General for Mobility and Waterways (DGO2);
- Category 1 non-navigable watercourses with watersheds of more than 5000 ha, managed by the SPW, Operational Directorate-General for Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment (DG03), Directorate of Non-navigable Watercourses (DCENN);
- Category 2 non-navigable watercourses with watersheds of less than 5000 ha, managed by the provinces;
- Category 3 non-navigable watercourses with watersheds of less than 5000 ha, managed by the municipalities;
- Unclassified watercourses with watersheds of less than 100 ha, managed by the waterside landowners.
Boat traffic is authorised on certain Category 1 non-navigable watercourses managed by the Directorate of Non-navigable Watercourses.
The Wildlife and Forestry Division (DNF - SPW) is in charge of the ecological management of the natural environment. That means it is responsible for managing and promoting nature as well as ensuring that it is respected as an ecosystem, by popularizing information about nature. To do this, it makes use of the Nature Conservation Act of 12 July 1973 and its various implementing decrees, including that of 19 March 2009 regulating traffic on watercourses and the presence of divers and anglers in watercourses.
On navigable waterways, the navigation of pleasure craft is subject to the General Regulations on Navigable Waterways.
The brochure entitled "Pleasure boating on Wallonia�??s inland waterways (pdf)", published by the former General Directorate of Waterways (MET), contains all useful information about the organisation and regulation of pleasure boating in the Walloon Region. In particular, registering the craft is compulsory!
Legislative texts
Boat traffic on and the presence of divers and anglers in the watercourses of the Walloon Region
List of watercourses on which traffic is currently authorised :The Walloon Government adopted a decree on 30 June 1994 regulating the traffic of craft on and presence of divers and anglers in Wallonia�??s watercourses. This decree came in the wake of the need to take measures to protect the watercourses and the plants and animals associated with them.
This need stems from the boom in aquatic recreational activities, which, when they take place in confined areas and engaged in by a large number of people, cannot but deteriorate the aquatic biotopes and plants, both in the water and on the banks, and disturb animal species, which disturbance can jeopardise their reproduction.
The decree of 30 June 1994, amended by the decrees of 20 June 1996 and 19 July 2001, was thus adopted on the basis of the Nature Conservation Act of 12 July 1973 (officious coordinated version of the decree of 30 June 1994).
The decree of 19 March 2009, which goes into effect on 1 July 2009, abrogates the decree of 30 June 1994.
Amongst other things, it introduces :
- a change in the schedules of use
- the maximum cut-off flows above which pleasure boating is prohibited
- identical regulation signs on all the watercourses of Wallonia (for pleasure craft)
The decree sets out provisions concerning :
- types of person and craft allowed to move about in or navigate on the watercourses (Art.2)
- watercourses open to traffic and seasonal restrictions thereupon (Art.3)
- time segments during which traffic is authorised (Art.4)
- embarkation and disembarkation areas (Art.5)
- flow conditions and rafting (Art.6)
- water bodies (Art.7)
- exemption procedures and restrictions (Art.8)
- signs (Art.9)
Types of person and craft allowed to move about in or navigate on the watercourses (Art.2)
NOT AVAILABLE
Watercourses open to traffic and seasonal restrictions thereupon (Art.3)
The watercourses on which pleasure craft are allowed are listed in Annex 1 to the decree of 19 March 2009.The other watercourses are not open to circulation (save derogations).
Annex 1 : NOT AVAILABLE
Time segments during which traffic is authorised (Art.4)
NOT AVAILABLE
Embarkation and disembarkation areas (Art.5)
NOT AVAILABLE
Flow conditions and rafting (Art.6)
NOT AVAILABLE
Water bodies (Art.7)
NOT AVAILABLE
Exemption procedures and restrictions (Art.8)
NOT AVAILABLE
Signs (Art.9)
NOT AVAILABLE
List of links
SPW / Non-navigable Waterways Directorate. Category 1 flow measurement network in Wallonia
http://aqualim.environnement.wallonie.be
MET/Hydrological Studies Department: Water level and flow measurement network in Wallonia
http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be
"Pleasure boating on Wallonia�??s inland waterways (publication)"
http://plaisance.voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/
Wallonia's environment portal
http://environnement.wallonie.be/
Information System on Biodiversity in Wallonia (SIBW) - legislation
http://biodiversite.wallonie.be
Natura2000
http://natura2000.wallonie.be/
River contracts in the Walloon Region
http://environnement.wallonie.be/contrat_riviere/
Walloon Fishing Centre
http://www.maisondelapeche.be