27 May 2026 - 00:00

NCR biogeomorphological field visit to the Allier

The Allier river in France is one of the last large free meandering rivers in Western Europe. It has been studied extensively for the active meander development, sediment transport, vegetation succession, biogeomorphological interactions and invasive species. The special governance of the area inside the national parc includes the prohibition of shoreline protection with rubble and compensation of landowners whose land is lost to lateral migration. This makes the Allier river a fascinating destination for an excursion for all NCR participants.

Self-organisation of the field visit stops and walks

With this excursion, we want to bring together researchers interested in natural fluvial processes. For the two full days of field visits, we ask all participants to propose and prepare a short talk or activity for one stop based on your interests and background. The content and location of your stop can be chosen freely, but should be based on text books, literature, or field techniques. The location of the stop should be chosen such that it illustrates the content. Here is a list with possible field visit options for inspiration:

• Wandering along the active meanders and through the floodplain downstream of the campsite. Length around 8 km, adventurous path finding.
• Walking tour, upstream from Moulins
• Kayak trip: Billy – camping, 28 km
• Kayak trip: camping to Moulins, 23 km
• See here, for other kayaking options. Note that you need to be able to swim 25 meters for safety reasons.

Once all the proposals are in, we will draft the final program and potentially group proposals in case of many participants.

Dates and travel plan

The field visit will be held from Wednesday May 27^th until Saturday May 30^th:

• Day 1 (May 27), travel to the Allier. Meet at 8 PM at the campsite for a meet and greet.
• Day 2 (May 28), field visit: itinerary to be determined jointly
• Day 3 (May 29), field visit: itinerary to be determined jointly
• Day 4 (May 30), return trip

Travel times

• By car from Utrecht to camping Deneuvre: 8 to 11 hours depending on stops and traffic density.
• By train from Utrecht Centraal to Moulins gare SNCF: 7h23min with the TGV. Requires additional transport to the campsite.

Stay

We will set up camp at Camping Deneuvre, right in the middle of the national park. Here, you pitch your own tent or caravan, or you can rent a pod, caravan, or glamping tent. The campsite address: 1 chemin du stade 03500 Châtel-De-Neuvre. You will need to make your own reservations. If you prefer to stay in a hotel, that is possible too. You can still join the programme. The closest hotels are in Moulins.

Gauging station

Discharge measurement, Moulins gauging station. In case of flooding, kayaking is unsuited as an activity and last minute adjustments need to be made to the program.

Logistical organization and estimated costs

The logistics are aimed at keeping the costs low. Participants are expected to carpool and organize their own accommodation. When you sign up, you are asked to indicate whether you have a car and if you have space for additional passengers. We will match participants to optimize carpooling. If many want to go by train, you need to rent a van locally. Shopping will be in Moulins, and we propose to go out for dinner on day 2. NCR will partially sponsor the canoe rental.

Registration

You can sign up by sending an email to m.w.straatsma@uu.nl. Please sign up by May 1^st. In your email, please provide the following details:

• Full name, organization, email address, and mobile phone number
• I have a car available for the field visit: yes/no
  • If yes: I can take X additional passengers and I leave from: give city name
  • If no: I would like to carpool, leaving from: give city name
• I will come by train and need local transportation: yes/no
• I will book my accommodation on campsite Deneuvre / in a hotel in Moulins.
• I propose the following topic or activity: state your topic or activity
• The perfect location to illustrate this topic: give latitude and longitude or google maps pin

Looking forward to seeing you at the Allier!

Cordialement

Dr. Menno Straatsma, NCR programme committee, Utrecht University.