Meanders's Allier

Some fifteen kilometers downstream from the Bec de Dore ENS, the Allier valley from Joze to Maringues is one of the most interesting areas of the Puy-de-Dôme in terms of river dynamics and natural environments.
This is one of the most interesting sectors of the Puy-de-Dôme department, where river dynamics and interesting natural environments still exist, but it is also one of the most complex to manage due to the presence of certain micro-parcel developments and the multiplicity of stakeholders. The Allier axis is a corridor of refuge for remarkable flora and fauna in the face of the vast expanses of cultivated land along its banks.

An area of unprecedented richness, populated by hundreds of species of saproxilophagous insects (which feed on dead wood), which in turn feast on fish and birds such as the kingfisher, while a beautiful heron waddles along the riverbank. The vegetation is not to be outdone, and the place remains truly enchanting, with a veritable symphony of colors. And as a bonus, volcanoes can be seen on the horizon.

The main outstanding natural habitats are :
- natural eutrophic lakes (duckweed communities),
- annual vegetation of exposed riverbanks (pioneer communities of wet mudflats),
- pioneer lawns on rock domes (sedum lawn),
- a residual alluvial forest (salix abla willow grove),
- and a mixed forest of large rivers (Quercus robur alluvial oak grove).

The main species of note are :
- Purple loosestrife, Micheli nutsedge, smooth elm,
- Atlantic salmon, pike, shad, sea lamprey,
- European otter, European beaver
- European beaver, great murin, eared vespertilion,
- kingfisher, black-crowned night heron, bank swallows, common tern,
- agrion mignon, dwarf agrion, marsh copper...

The site, and more broadly the Allier axis, is considered a "refuge" or "green and blue corridor" through which remarkable flora and fauna pass.