Lac des Settons

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Lac des Settons
Primary inflows		Cure, Lyonnet, Piscuit
Primary outflows	Cure
Basin countries	France
Max. length	3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Max. width	2 km (1.2 mi)
Surface area	3.67 km2 (1.42 sq mi)
Max. depth	20 m (66 ft)
Water volume	19,500,000 m3 (690,000,000 cu ft)
Surface elevation	586 m (1,923 ft)
Islands	2

The Lac des Settons (Lake of the Settons) is a reservoir in the Nièvre department, France,^[1] with a surface area of 3.67 km² (1.42 sq mi). Supplied mainly by the River Cure, it is situated in the heart of Morvan Regional Natural Park. The lake is found south of the town Montsauche-les-Settons. It is one of the Great Lakes of the Morvan.

General overview

The reservoir, whose perimeter exceeds 13 km (8.1 mi), has an average depth of 6 m (20 ft) and is situated at an altitude of 586 m (1,923 ft). It was formed between 1854 and 1861 by a 20-metre (66 ft) high granite dam. The reservoir was intended to regulate traffic on the Yonne River and help allow timber rafting to Paris.

History

Construction

The first surveys date back to the time of

, Pierre-Louis-Marie Cortet.

Several buildings were submerged, notably windmills that can still be seen every decade or so, when the reservoir is emptied. In 1861, the new construction was required to repair water damage. Around 1920, the lake lost its main function since timber was no longer rafted to Paris due to wood's replacement by coal as a fuel source. The lake was then abandoned for several decades.

Later years

The dam became a listed site in 1937. The lake then became popular leisure destination. In 1956 the first camping site opened for business, while the hotels increased in number.

References