Les Prés Salés Ouest

Les Prés Salés Ouest, located in the commune of La Teste de Buch, is a 42-hectare cove in the south of the Bay of Arcachon. Formerly open to the sea, Les Prés Salés Ouest was dyked in the mid-1970s and removed from the influence of the ocean. For nearly 35 years, the site lost its vocation as a salt meadow, gradually became impoverished and was invaded by invasive exotic species (notably Baccharis, also known as "faux-cotonnier"). However, in 2007, after years of legal battles, the commune of Teste de Buch was authorised by the State to undertake improvements. The work had several objectives: environmental, landscape, hydraulic and public reception. One part of the site was once again subject to the rhythm of the tides while the other was dedicated to the retention of fresh water from the Craste.