Étang de Thau
| Étang de Thau | ||
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| View from Sète to the eastern part of the Étang de Thau; in the background the Pic Saint-Loup | ||
| Geographical location | Hérault , Occitania , France | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 43 ° 25 ' N , 3 ° 37' E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 0 m | |
| surface | 75 km² | |
| length | 19 km | |
| width | 8 kilometers | |
| Maximum depth | 32 m | |
| Middle deep | 5 m | |
The Étang de Thau (also Bassin de Thau , German Thau-See ) is an 18 km long lagoon southwest of the city of Sète on the western Mediterranean coast of southern France . The lake has an area of approx. 75 square kilometers (7500 hectares) and a circumference of 55 km, with an average water depth of 4.50 m (a freshwater source in the lake, the Gouffre de la Bise , is almost 30 m deep) . The Étang de Thau is the end point of the Canal du Rhône à Sète and the starting point of the Canal du Midi , which continues to Toulouse .
Evolution of the lagoon
The lagoon used to have several direct accesses to the sea; today, however, the lagoon is almost completely separated from the sea by the Le Toc sandbank . The lake is supplied with lime-rich fresh water from the Pyrenees through the Canal du Midi ; The river Vène rises in the southern foothills of the Cevennes and flows into the Étang de Thau at Balaruc-le-Vieux .
economy
Traditionally, the inhabitants of the riparian zones along the lagoon of the Étang de Thau lived from fishing and little income from salt production ; Grain, wine and vegetables were grown on the land in the hinterland. Since the middle of the 20th century, oyster farming and tourism have played an increasingly dominant role in the economic life of the communities on the lake.
Boat tourism
In addition to the great role that the coastal lake has for oyster farming and water sports enthusiasts, it is also of great importance for tourists who sail the Canal du Midi or the Canal du Rhône à Sète . In contrast to the Canal du Midi (with very few exceptions), there is still commercial shipping on the latter. The Étang de Thau develops a comparatively high swell due to its areal size at shallow water even with relatively light winds . There are also numerous shallows in the lake. These dangers often require a disproportionate amount of experience from the boatmen, who are often not up to the demands of the water (in France there is no requirement to have a driver's license for the houseboats rented out by the various agencies). In principle, charter boat captains are only allowed to sail over the Étang de Thau in good wind conditions and during the day. Furthermore, there are various requirements for the protection of the water, which the crew must adhere to while navigating.
Places at the Étang de Thau
Festival de Thau
The city of Mèze am Étang de Thau organizes a Festival de Thau every July . The focus is on African and Black American music, combined with socio-political topics.
