Groundwater monitoring over the decades

The launch and evolution of groundwater monitoring in France are intimately linked to the regulatory context. The first major Water Law was voted in 1964, paving the way for comprehensive and decentralised water management organised along the lines of the major river basins. The law also triggered the establishment of the first monitoring networks for groundwater levels and quality, networks that subsequently were modified in step with the changing regulations. This document presents the considerable work put into groundwater monitoring over several decades.