The Woëvre () (German: ''Waberland'') is a
natural region of
Lorraine in northeastern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It forms part of Lorraine plateau and lies largely in the
department of
Meuse. Along with the
Côtes de Moselle, the Woëvre is one of the areas in Lorraine that receives the least rainfall; nonetheless, its river system is very important and feeds into the
Lac de Madine.
Location
It lies on the right bank of the river
Meuse, from the valley of the
Chiers in the north to the town of
Neufchâteau in the south. To the west, the region follows the Meuse, and to the east, it extends into the neighboring department of
Meurthe-et-Moselle. The
Lac de Madine lies in the Woëvre, like does the western part of the
Parc naturel régional de Lorraine. Neighboring natural regions include the
Côtes de Meuse on the left bank of the Meuse, the
Barrois to the south and the
Côtes de Moselle to the east. The part French, part Belgian
Gaume region lies to the north.
Features
Since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, inhabitants along part of this system have used earthen levees to create ponds used for
aquaculture, which now provide important refuges for migratory birds.
The region's soil includes layers of
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
and
limestone aquifers separated by impermeable clay. It is particularly forested, particularly with oak trees.
Two small pieces of land are still heavily contaminated from WWI and are designated part of
Zone Rouge.
Conservation
Certain areas are designated as "
Zones naturelles d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique", or ZNIEFFs, which marks them as particularly important to the preservation of France's ecological heritage either because of the plants or animals they support, their ecological role or their local or national importance. The "Conservatoire des sites lorraines" was created to protect endangered species, and it purchased most of the areas in 1994. Parts of the Woëvre have been designated as a protected
Ramsar site since 1991.
References
* ''Lorraine'', Encyclopédies Bonneton, Christine Bonneton Éditeur, 2002,
Geography of Grand Est
Natural regions of France
Ramsar sites in Metropolitan France
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