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The canyon and the turquoise river Verdon on the Sentier de l'Imbut, Gorges du Verdon

Safety by the river

Water releases on the Verdon

The river level can rise at any moment. What to know before you go near the water, according to EDF and the Verdon Regional Park.

Sentier de l'Imbut · Renek78 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The short answer

The main risk is a sudden rise in the level and flow of the river, at any moment, even in calm weather. The Verdon is regulated by hydroelectric dams: according to the Verdon Regional Nature Park, their water releases can raise the level very quickly, with no warning sign.

According to EDF, someone in the middle of the riverbed can then be trapped and swept away by the current. Stay on the banks, never cross the river on foot, do not swim in the Verdon, and do white-water activities with a professional.

In brief
Dams on the Verdon
Five: Castillon, Chaudanne, Sainte-Croix, Quinson and Gréoux-les-Bains
Busiest stretch
Downstream of the Chaudanne dam, through Castellane to the gorges
Reserved flow downstream of Chaudanne
3 m³/s; 1.5 m³/s from 1 July to 15 September
Maximum turbine flow at Chaudanne
40 m³/s
Summer release for white water
On Tuesdays, possibly Fridays, depending on the water available (EDF, 2019)
Release forecasts
Reserved for professionals with an agreement with EDF

Why are there water releases?

Five dams line the course of the Verdon: Castillon, Chaudanne, Sainte-Croix, Quinson and Gréoux-les-Bains. Operated by EDF, they produce electricity, supply the region with water and created the lakes (EPAGE Verdon). According to EDF, running the dams and power stations causes water releases that can bring sudden rises in the river level and large increases in its flow.

Management follows the seasons (EPAGE Verdon): in winter, the reservoirs are lowered to produce electricity; in spring, they fill with snowmelt; in summer, production is very low; in autumn, it resumes according to electricity demand and the state of the river.

In summer, EDF makes the surplus water stored each week in the Lac de Castillon available to white-water professionals: depending on the flow of the Verdon, a specific release takes place on Tuesdays and possibly on Fridays. In a severe drought, as in 2017, there may be no release at all; in heavy storms or when there is a flood risk, EDF may on the contrary release more often. This timetable comes from a 2019 EDF document: it depends on the water available and guarantees nothing. As the Park points out, the water can rise at any moment.

Which stretches are concerned?

The busiest stretch is the Verdon downstream of the Chaudanne dam, which flows through Castellane before entering the gorges: according to EPAGE Verdon, this is where rafting, kayaking and white-water swimming take place. The summer releases come from the water stored in the Lac de Castillon, and EDF gives its forecasts to professionals for the stretch downstream of the Chaudanne power station.

Further down, the Sainte-Croix, Quinson and Gréoux-les-Bains dams also have power stations. We found no public timetable for their releases: that does not mean there are none.

What the figures say

Downstream of Chaudanne, the reserved flow, the flow left in the river at all times, is 3 m³/s, and 1.5 m³/s from 1 July to 15 September (EPAGE Verdon, EDF). The Chaudanne power station can run up to 40 m³/s through its turbines (EPAGE Verdon), more than twenty-five times the summer reserved flow.

No official source says how long the water takes to rise at a given spot. The Park only writes that the level can rise very quickly, with no warning sign. So do not count on any delay.

On site: signs and sirens

EDF says it has installed more than 10,000 yellow warning signs in France along the rivers, lakes and canals that feed its power stations, and asks people to respect the signs marking risk areas. Every summer, EDF hydroguides walk the rivers to remind people of the safety rules.

The sirens of the Castillon and Chaudanne dams do not announce releases. They are used to alert the population in the event of a serious accident at a dam, under a specific emergency plan, and are tested on the first Wednesday of March, June, September and December (EDF). Géorisques specifies that in the event of an accident, the operator’s sirens sound an alert signal specific to dams.

We found no official source describing a siren or a sound signal before an ordinary release. Do not wait for a warning: the water can rise with no warning sign.

The official safety rules

What the Verdon Regional Nature Park and EDF ask, with nothing added:

  • Never cross the river on foot, and always stay on the banks. (Verdon Park)
  • Do not settle on the islets in the middle of the river. (EDF)
  • Throughout your activity, watch for the slightest change in the water level or flow. (EDF)
  • Respect the signs marking risk areas. (EDF)
  • Do not swim, and keep an eye on children by the water, especially during picnics and snack breaks. (Verdon Park)
  • For rafting, kayaking or canyoning, use professionals and ask about release days. (Verdon Park)
  • Beware of storms: in the gorges, the weather changes fast and the water can rise. (Verdon Park)

No swimming in the river

According to the Park, the Verdon is a dangerous river, with many sinkholes and water movements, and swimming in it is banned by municipal order in Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon.

In Rougon, for example, municipal order no. 172 of 22 June 2007 bans swimming in the Verdon between the Clue de Chasteuil and the confluence with the Artuby, a place neither equipped nor supervised and considered dangerous.

Where to ask before you go?

There is no public day-by-day timetable of releases. EDF reserves its release forecasts downstream of Chaudanne, updated daily, for white-water professionals who have signed a safety agreement.

The Verdon Park advises asking about release days at the tourist offices, the Park information points or the eco-rangers in the field.

The Park also gives the “Sûreté Verdon” answering machine of the Castillon dam, active during the first-category fishing season: 04 92 83 69 07, then key 1. It does not say what this message announces.

Sûreté Verdon answering machine (Castillon dam): 04 92 83 69 07

Frequently asked questions

What are the risks of water releases from dams?

A sudden rise in the level and flow of the river, at any moment, even in calm weather. According to the Verdon Park, releases can raise the level very quickly, with no warning sign; according to EDF, someone in the middle of the riverbed can be trapped and swept away by the current. Stay on the banks and never cross the river on foot.

When do water releases take place on the Verdon?

There is no public timetable. According to a 2019 EDF document, in summer a release for white-water sports takes place on Tuesdays and possibly Fridays, depending on the flow of the Verdon; there may be none in a severe drought, and more in storms or when there is a flood risk. The Park points out that the water can rise at any moment.

How can I find out whether there is a release today?

EDF’s forecasts are reserved for professionals with an agreement. The Park advises asking at the tourist offices, the Park information points or the eco-rangers. It also gives the “Sûreté Verdon” answering machine of the Castillon dam, active during the first-category fishing season: 04 92 83 69 07, key 1.

Does a siren sound before a release?

No, according to the sources we read. The sirens of the Castillon and Chaudanne dams are used to alert the population in the event of a serious accident at a dam; they are tested on the first Wednesday of March, June, September and December. No official source describes a signal before an ordinary release.

Can you swim in the Verdon at Castellane or in the gorges?

No. According to the Verdon Park, swimming in the river is banned by municipal order in Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon: the Verdon is dangerous there, with sinkholes and water movements. To swim, go to the lakes.

How high can the flow of the Verdon get during a release?

Downstream of Chaudanne, the reserved flow is 3 m³/s, and 1.5 m³/s from 1 July to 15 September. The Chaudanne power station can run up to 40 m³/s through its turbines, more than twenty-five times the summer reserved flow (EPAGE Verdon).

Read also

Our sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these official sources, re-read at the source on 8 November 2026. They are in French.

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