Canal du Rhône à Sète
| Canal du Rhône à Sète | |
|---|---|
 Marina in Beaucaire |
|
| Water code | FR : ---- 1482 |
| location | France , Occitania region |
| length | 98 km |
| Built | 1780-1806 |
| class | III |
| Beginning | in the urban area of Beaucaire (originally with a connection to the Rhône ) |
| The End | Confluence with the Étang de Thau near Sète |
| Descent structures | 1 |
| Junctions, crossings | Canal de Saint-Gilles , Vidourle River, Lez River |
| Historical precursors | Canal des Étangs |
| Kilometrage | Towards Sète |
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The Canal du Rhône à Sète ( German Rhône-Sète Canal ) is a shipping canal in the south of France , in the Occitanie region .
Course and technical infrastructure
It runs between Beaucaire on the Rhone and Sète , where it flows into the Étang de Thau after 98 kilometers . The Canal du Midi begins beyond the Étang de Thau . In Saint-Gilles it has a connection to the Canal de Saint-Gilles , which connects to the right arm of the Rhone (" Petit Rhône ") and enables ships to travel on the main arm of the Rhone (Grand Rhône) at Port-Saint -Louis-du-Rhône to reach the Mediterranean . Originally the canal only ran from Sète to Aigues Mortes and was then called Canal des Étangs (Eng. Lake Canal ).
Coordinates
- Starting point of the canal: 43 ° 48 ′ 18 ″ N , 4 ° 38 ′ 47 ″ E
- End point of canal: 43 ° 25 ′ 24 ″ N , 3 ° 42 ′ 12 ″ E
Crossed departments
Places on the canal
history
The first plans to drain part of the Camargue go back to Henri IV. The first idea of a canal from Aigues-Mortes to Saint-Gilles dates back to 1645 (for comparison: a project of the Canal des Deux Mers , the later Canal du Midi, was discussed in 1618 by the Assemblée des États du Languedoc , but rejected). However, the États du Languedoc did not begin to build this approximately 35 km long canal through terrain that was partially at sea level until 1780 (almost 100 years after the opening of the Canal du Midi). Attempts were therefore made to prevent the entry of salt water from the canal into the lateral terrain by paved paths on both sides of the canal. Due to the French Revolution , however, the work - and with it the sidewalks - were interrupted. In order to avoid major damage, Napoleon ordered the canal to be completed. A contract with the Compagnie Perrochel therefore provided for the canal to Beaucaire with various connecting canals with a total length of 77.1 km on the basis of a concession for 80 years and to operate. The state owned land along the canal was to become the property of the company on a permanent basis. In 1806 the first ships were able to sail through the canal, but the final completion took a few years until the reception définitive (final acceptance at the end of the warranty period) on September 29, 1828. At that time the canal carried salt water to Saint-Gilles and fresh water from there to Beaucaire . Paulin Talabot , employed by the canal company, arranged for the entire canal to be converted into a freshwater canal by building a protective and overflow lock in Aigues-Mortes to protect against salt water and in Beaucaire a lock to supply the entire canal with water from the Rhône . This work was finished in 1834.
In 1909, a 21 m long railway swing bridge was opened in Aigues-Mortes , by means of which the railway line Saint-Césaire-Grau-du-Roi crosses the canal.
Tourist importance
The Canal du Rhône à Sète is a scenic canal that mostly crosses the Camargue in a straight line . Since it has only one lock along its entire length , it is easy for boats to negotiate and very popular for tourist houseboat trips. Wild horses , wild bulls , flamingos and many species of birds can be observed on its banks .
See also
literature
- Voies Navigables, Canaux du Midi , 1998, Editions Grafocarte Verlag ISBN 2-7416-0054-6
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b The information on the length of the canal is based on the information on the Canal du Rhône à Sète from SANDRE (French), accessed on November 10, 2011, rounded to full kilometers.
- ↑ Le pont tournant d'Aigues-Mortes in: Ferrovissime No. 105, p. 55 ff.