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Since the adoption of the EU Water Framework Directive in 2000, all European waters are to achieve good ecological status by 2015. The strengthening of water policies involves an increased number of river basin management plans and even of river restoration projects at the local scale. In France the Environment Ministry is promoting a dam removal policy aimed at restoring the ecological continuity of rivers. This policy concerns medium dams and small weirs which were associated with mills. A part of these, however, continue to be used to produce electricity. Simultaneously, river and valley landscapes are drawing new attention involving multiple expectations linked to the valorization of river amenities, which can be at variance with the environmental issue. At local scale, observed conflicts illustrate local water governance difficulties. From the example of river restoration projects which we studied in northwestern France this paper attempts to throw light on different ways and goals of water management. If the regulated river is obsolete, how are rivers to evolve between ecological issues – “wild rivers” – and social objectives – “living rivers” –?