Canal de l'Ourcq
Canal de l'Ourcq | |
---|---|
Specifications | |
Length | 108.1 km (67.2 mi) |
Locks | 5 |
History | |
Date approved | 1802 |
Date completed | 1822 |
Geography | |
Start point | Port-aux-Perches near the village of Troesnes |
End point | Bassin de la Villette |
Connects to | Ourcq, Canal Saint-Martin |
The Canal de l'Ourcq (French pronunciation:
The canal is considered part of the 130 km (81 mi) Parisian canal network, along with the Canal Saint-Denis, the bassin de la Villette, and the Canal Saint-Martin. The canals were created as part of the administrative management of water in Paris during the nineteenth century.
Geography
The river Ourcq's headwaters are located in the wet prairie near
History
The River Ourcq
The first efforts towards engineering the waterway were inspired by the need for firewood for heating in Paris. The
Potable water in Paris
When Paris was known as
During the 4th century, construction of the aqueduc d’Arcueil began under Emperor
By the 18th century, little improvements had been made to bring potable water to Paris. Engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet proposed building a canal from the Ourcq, however his suggestion was not implemented before his death in 1680.
Construction of the canal
On 19 May 1802,
Private financiers were awarded the contract to construct and manage the canals. The city of Paris agreed to purchase land and surrender tolls for 99 years to the firms building the canals (the cost of construction was estimated at 6 million francs).[3] Work began in 1805 under Édouard de Villiers du Terrage.[3][4] The bassin de la Villette was filled with water on 2 December 1808, and on 15 August 1813 the first boat traveled through the canal. After the fall of the French Empire, work stopped until the Bourbon Restoration in 1814. The monarchy contracted with the Compagnie Vassel et Saint-Didier for 99 years, which allowed the company to collect tolls along the property, but required that the canal be completed and maintained. It was then realized that the slope was steep, causing too strong a current. Engineer Marie-Émile Vuigner added five locks to make navigation possible. The canal was opened to navigation in 1822.[1]
According to a 1989 survey of
Under the reign of Napoleon III, water shortages caused boats to become stranded along the canal. In response, authority was given to take water from the Marne.[6] In 1895 construction began to widen the canal in order for it to accommodate 1,000 tonne vessels. In 1920 this widening was extended to Les Pavillons-sous-Bois.[6] Today the canal provides approximately half of the 380,000 cubic metres (500,000 cu yd) daily water requirement for the city's public works.
Developments
In February 2005, the Council of Paris launched a study on construction of a proposed port along the Canal de l'Ourcq. This would be on the widened section from La Villette to Pavillons-sous-Bois (11 km or 6.8 mi) which is navigable by Seine barges carrying up to 900 tonnes.[7] The port would facilitate the transportation of material processed by the Romainville waste treatment centre managed by the metropolitan waste collection and disposal agency SYCTOM. This would avoid the need for trucks to carry this waste. In addition to the quay for barges to load and unload, the port would have facilities for reception, sorting, and shipping of bulky objects, as well as servicing waste containers from the domestic waste sorting and collection facilities.
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-57409-210-3.
- ^ "Canal de l'Ourcq". Canals of Paris. Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-87413-527-5.
- ^ "Structurae [en]: Canal Saint-Denis". Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^
Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses. (1989). Ship lifts: report of a Study Commission within the framework of Permanent ... ISBN 978-2-87223-006-8. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
- ^ a b "Canal de l'Ourcq - Paris.fr". Paris website (Paris.fr).
- ISBN 978-1-846230-14-1.
External links
- Paris - Canal de l'Ourcq, Canal Saint-Denis and Canal Saint-Martin maps and information on places, ports and moorings on the canals, by the author of Inland Waterways of France, Imray
- Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals (French waterways website section)