The roads around the Aiguebelette course are dotted with signs of protest about the world championships, the most stark and direct of which reads simply

INVASION
AVIRON
NON!

Which leaves little to ponder; other are a bit more thoughtful and revealing, particularly the sign that reads "Aviron Oui; Construction Non."

Other than the signs, there wasn't much information to be found about the protests short of rumors that tended to tilt toward the perspective of the teller rather than the facts, but overnight last night a new sign went up pointing to a Web site that the group that has organized many of the protests put up this week; you can see it at soslac.com.

The crux of the protests is the construction of new permanent structures for the 2015 championship,which were necessary to accommodate the new race course, which starts and ends in very different spots than the previous course. The main structures of concern include the new finish line tower as well as the starting line aligner's hut.

Additionally, some of the course cables also come very close to ancient plafittes placed by the Gojat people; palafittes are remnants of prehistoric pile dwellings that can be found throughout the Alps, many of which have been named or nominated for designation as UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Aiguebelette pilings were awarded World Heritage status in 2011. There is an underwater video showing how close some of these come to course cables here.

It's hard to figure out who is behind the protests, and how they themselves come to defend the Lac; are they longtime residents? Wealthy second-home owners who want to keep the place to themselves? Local farmers (unlikely from what I have seen)?

The protests note that the structures were funded in part by taxes, but do not necessarily mention economic impact studies that would offset the expenditures, particularly since the new racecourse is intended to host regular competitions, and not just a one-off World Championships or World Cup now and then.

There are active rowing clubs on the lake as well; there is a British high school student named Susannah Duncan who is living and training here this summer who is doing daily videos. If funds are the concern, the economic impact of a course this good could be significant, as there are two towns with a bunch of hotels within a short distance in Aix-les-Bains and Chambery .

The organizing committee has a different perspective of course, which you can see here . As a user of the facilities, I would say the organizers are pretty cognizant of environmental impact and the like, with composting porta-johns, special bins for bottle caps, and more.

As with many such issues, it is hard or impossible to choose sides as an outsider, but there has been some level of curiosity about the protests signs, and hopefully this brief outline of the issue is a little bit useful.