Bief (body of water)

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A Bief [bjεf] (Old French: biez , Bressanisch: bi ) is to conduct an irrigation channel, which is dug in the natural soil to water to specific destinations. Basically, the water in the Bief flows exclusively due to natural gravity, i.e. without mechanical aids. The bief can be fed by overflowing water or by a targeted supply of water from étangs or natural springs. The aim is to irrigate cultivated areas (meadows, fields, vineyards, fruit or vegetable gardens) but also to supply water for the operation of mills and sawmills .

etymology

The word first appears in 1135 as bied , meaning bed of a watercourse . In 1248 bié appears as a canal that brings water to a mill wheel and in 1635 the current form of Bief appears . The origin of the term is likely to be found in the Gallic * bedum (channel, ditch), possibly in connection with the Latin term fodere for dig.

history

Biefs in the Bresse

Network of Biefs in the Bresse

The construction of the Biefs in the Bresse had various causes and goals:

  • geological requirement
  • agricultural requirements
    • Fish farming as an agricultural source of income
    • Drainage of the fertile areas

The Bresse has the peculiarity that the subsoil consists of water-impermeable loam , covered by a relatively thin layer of humus. Rock or stone layers can only be found at great depth. As a result, the Bresse plateau remains humid, rainwater mainly collects between the humus and clay layers and only flows off very slowly. The waterlogging that forms is a hindrance for agriculture and not a good prerequisite for livestock farming either. The boggy humus is further destroyed by the heavy grazing animals and erosion damage occurs in some places. Even today frequent debris flows occur, especially in the southern area of ​​the Bresse.

In the High Middle Ages, the monks promoted the construction of étangs for fish farming in order to meet their nutritional needs during the numerous days of fasting. A system of Zelgenwirtschaft developed in which the étang took its permanent place, as fish could be harvested every third year , for which there was a large customer base in the clerical class. This type of agriculture required the creation of étangs , which also included the Bief as an integral part of the river, which enabled the étang to be cultivated at all. In the course of the High Middle Ages, more than 2,500 étangs were dug in the Bresse , which could be drained into the natural watercourses by the Biefs . In addition, biefs were created in many places , which primarily served to drainage of cultivated areas, combined with other biefs in order to ultimately also transport the water into a natural body of water.

At the same time, the water that collected between the humus and clay layers was drained into the biefs , and the cultivated areas were drained so that they produced a normal yield. Often it even had to be watered again in a second phase in order to supply the vegetation with the necessary moisture, for which the biefs also provided the necessary water.

In addition to fish farming, there were also numerous water mills and sawmills in and on the Étangs , which were driven by a targeted supply of water via the Biefs . The middle Bresse is characterized by an extremely dense network of biefs that drain into the larger waters ( Saône , Seille , Sâne , Brenne ).

See also

Individual evidence

  1. Letter. in the etymological dictionary of the Center Nationale de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales. Retrieved March 20, 2016 (French).

Web links

Commons : Bief  - collection of images, videos and audio files