Hastière is a town located an hour and a half’s drive south of Brussels. It is best known for its Saint-Pierre Abbey, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. This famous building stands directly on the banks of the Meuse, demonstrating that the river has been a major transport route for centuries. Consequently, the fledgling nation of Belgium, which gained its independence in 1830, quickly embarked on major works to develop the river into a modern transport route. Indeed, its banks are dotted with numerous stone quarries and forests, the materials from which are essential to the country’s economic functioning. This would also facilitate trade with neighbouring countries (the Netherlands to the north and France to the south). River navigation was completely modernised in the 19th century. From the French to the Dutch border, 15 weirs are managed by lock-keeping stations to maintain the water level up to the next weir. However, the river remains turbulent and experiences annual floods carrying dead wood.…