In southeastern France we found the same condition of intensive use of land on valley floors and on steep, terraced slopes. In the French Alps, population pressure on land of the plains has pushed the cultivation line up the slopes into mountains and has denuded grassy meadows by overgrazing.

This excessive use of the mountainous areas in the French Alps unleashed torrential floods that for more than a century ravaged productive Alpine valleys. Erosional debris was swept down by recurring torrential floods to bury fields, orchards, and villages; to cut lines of communication; and to kill inhabitants of the valleys.

So serious became this menace to the welfare of the region that the French Government, after much study and legislation, undertook in 1882 a constructive program of torrent control. Since that time hundreds of millions of francs have been spent for works of torrent control that are remarkably successful.