The Arbonne and its periods of high water

The town of Bourg Saint Maurice has always been under threat from the streams rushing through it. One of the first accounts found dates back to the year 163: leading an army, Emperor Lucius Verus was forced to stop at the entrance to the town because of the raging waters. Unable to cross this obstacle, he had a dyke built to protect the Roman road. The name "Arbonne" first appears around the turn of the 17th century in the expression "torren d'Arbena" which means river or white, foamy spring. In the 14th century, the waters of Le Nant Blanc, one of its tributaries, remained hidden for seven years in saliferous and gypseous cavities. One day, the mountainside gave way. The enormous pocket of water spilled out across the plain, forming an immense alluvial cone which pushed the bed of the Isère back to the foot of the north-facing side.High water levels would occur in succession from 1579 until 2019, carrying away bridges and footbridges in their wake. A range of development and protection work has been carried out: land drainage, dam building and replanting trees on the banks.