Épanchoir d'Argentdouble

Last updated

The Épanchoir de d'Argentdouble is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the Argent-Double Aqueduct and southeast of the village of La Redorte. [1] Coordinates: 43°15′01″N2°40′02″E / 43.25030°N 2.66719°E / 43.25030; 2.66719 (Argentdouble Siphon)

Siphon sluice

Siphon sluices are one of the many water management devices used on the Canal du Midi to regulate the level of the water. The siphon acts as an automatic water level regulator. The épanchoir à siphon, or siphon sluice, was designed by Bertrand Garripuy (Garipuy) Jr., the son of the chief engineer. The first épanchoir siphon was built in 1776 near Capestang and the second in 1778 at Ventenac.

Canal du Midi canal in Southern France

The Canal du Midi is a 240 km (150 mi) long canal in Southern France. Originally named the Canal royal en Languedoc and renamed by French revolutionaries to Canal du Midi in 1789, the canal was at the time considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century.

Argent-Double Aqueduct

The Argent-Double Aqueduct is one of several aqueducts on the Canal du Midi. The Argent-Double stream is culverted under the canal at La Redorte.

See also

Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi Wikimedia list article

Aqueducts on the Canal du Midi allow the canal to intersect and cross over natural streams. There are two exceptions, the first is the Herbettes Aqueduct where it crosses a four-lane highway in Toulouse. Another exception is where it intersections with the Libron river and the crossing is accomplished via the Ouvrages du Libron.

Locks on the Canal du Midi Wikimedia list article

There are 91 working locks on the Canal du Midi along its 240-kilometre (150 mi) course from the Bassin du Thau on the Mediterranean coast to the junction with the Canal lateral a la Garonne in Toulouse. There are a further 13 locks on the 37-kilometre (23 mi) La Nouvelle branch which runs through Narbonne to the Mediterranean at Port-la-Nouvelle. The locks are all under the management of the French navigation authority, Voies navigables de France.

The balancing of incoming and outgoing water allows the Canal du Midi to operate as it does. Each time a lock operates, large quantities of water are either required to fill it or dump from it into the lower level pound. There must be a constant source of water in order to fill and the excess water dumped must have a place to exit the canal without it overflowing. Being able to provide this water source was one of the most important problems to be solved by Pierre Paul Riquet, its creator.

Related Research Articles

Fonserannes Locks lock

Fonserannes Locks are a flight of staircase locks on the Canal du Midi near Béziers.

Orb Aqueduct

The Orb Aqueduct is a bridge which carries the Canal du Midi over the Orb in the city of Béziers in Languedoc, France. The aqueduct is 28 metres (92 ft) wide, 12 metres (39 ft) tall and at 240 metres (790 ft) is the longest on the Canal du Midi.

Ouvrages du Libron dam in France

Ouvrages du Libron is a structure like no other on the Canal du Midi. It allows the Libron River, near Agde in south-west France, to traverse the Canal du Midi. At the point of intersection, the Libron is more or less at the same level as the Canal du Midi so a traditional aqueduct was not an option. The problem was further exacerbated by the Libron's propensity to flash flood up to twenty times a year. The problem was originally solved by the building of a pontoon aqueduct known as the Libron Raft which utilised a flush-decked barge to protect the canal channel in times of flooding. However, this was replaced by the present structure in 1855.

Bassin de Naurouze

The Bassin de Naurouze is an octagonal holding tank, created during the building of the Canal du Midi as designed and built by Pierre-Paul Riquet. It was abandoned a few years after construction of the canal because of its recurrent silting problems. The flow of water from the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol joins the Canal du Midi at this point near the Seuil de Naurouze. Riquet hoped to build a city around the basin and also considered building a port. However, it easily filled with silt and its use discontinued. A lawn replaced the empty pool, and it is crossed by a straight path lined with plane trees.

Cesse Aqueduct

Cesse Aqueduct is one of several aqueducts, or water bridge, created for the Canal du Midi. Originally, the canal crossed the Cesse on the level. Pierre-Paul Riquet, the original architect of the canal, had placed a curved dam 205 metres (673 ft) long and 9.10 metres (29.9 ft) high across the Cesse in order to collect water to make the crossing possible; the aqueduct replaced this dam.

Port de la Robine

Port de la Robine is located at PK168 on the Canal du Midi immediately adjacent to the Truilhas Bridge. The turn for the La Nouvelle branch is .5 km (1,600 ft) north east and the Cesse aqueduct .5 km (1,600 ft) south west.

The Épanchoir du Vivier is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the triple lock of the Vivier lock.

The Épanchoir de Villepinte is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the single lock of the Villepinte lock and south of the village of Villepinte.

The Épanchoir de Villeséque is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the single lock of the Villeséquelande Lock and southeast of the village of Villesèquelande.

The Épanchoir de Foucaud is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi west of Carcassonne. The waters are used for the Épanchoir de Foucaud botanical garden.

The Épanchoir de Charques is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi east of the Fresquel Single Lock and southeast of the village of Villemoustaussou in France.

The Épanchoir de Ste-Julia is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi east of the triple lock of the Trèbes Lock and southeast of the village of Trèbes.

The Épanchoir des Patiasses is a siphon for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the Cesse Aqueduct and southeast of the village of Mirepeisset.

The Déversoir de Villepinte is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the west of the Mezuran Aqueduct and southwest of the village of Villepinte.

The Déversoir de St-Jean is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi immediately to the east of the St-Nazaire Aqueduct and northeast of Carcassonne.

The Déversoir de la Raye is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi west of the Orbiel Aqueduct and northwest of Trèbes.

The Déversoir de Marseillette is a weir for water release from the Canal du Midi east of the Mercier Aqueduct and west of Marseillette.

Aqueduc de Louveciennes

L'aqueduc de Louveciennes, sometimes called aqueduc de Marly is an aqueduct built in the 17th century under the reign of Louis XIV, located in Louveciennes. Now out of service, the aqueduct has been listed as a Monument historique since 1953. It was a part of the hydraulic network intended to provide water for the château de Marly and the Gardens of Versailles from the Seine river, using a huge pump called the "Machine de Marly".

References

  1. Midi Camargue Waterways Guide 7. Editions Du Breil. ISBN   2-913120-04-0.