David Bowie

Strong points of the project

For that, it projects to recover water of the mountain in storage dams then to forward them to the threshold of Naurouze thanks to drains while crossing the threshold of Graissens. The water of Sor passing close to Revel is the principal food under consideration by Pierre-Paul Riquet. But, other rivers of the Black Mountain form also part of its feeding system like the Alzeau, the Laudot, Rieutort, Bernassonne and the Lampy. Indeed, the Black Mountain is an area twice more sprinkled than the plain of the Lauragais with: 1400 millimetres per annum in the neighborhoods from 500 to 600 m of altitude. To store the water of the rivers, it projects three basins: the tank of the Lampy-Old man, a hexagonal harbor-basin with Naurouze and the selected Saint-Ironwood.

In 1664, during the expertise on the project, the states of Languedoc ask Riquet to put its idea into practice in an experimental way. It then makes build a drain of test deviating the water of Sor until the threshold of Naurouze. It is the “drain of the Plain” which it finishes in 1665 and proves thus that it is possible to bring water up to the highest point of the course of the channel. It is the event which reassures the commission of experts that the king had searched on the spot to inspect the choices and the plans drawn up by Riquet. As from this moment, Louis XIV knows that the construction of the channel is technically possible.

Inaccuracies of Pierre-Paul Riquet

Atlantic side, it proposes several layouts: one would pass by Castres and Revel via the threshold of Graissens and the Agout. Indeed, this river was in the course of installation for navigation. Another layout passes by the river the Girou and avoids Toulouse like the preceding layout. Mediterranean side, the layout is not fixed either. It uses the Fresquel until the Aude, but her arrival on the east coast initially under consideration with Narbonne then with Sète.

In 1663, Riquet carries out field studies for finally fixing the way on the Atlantique side by the threshold of Naurouze along the valley of the Hers to Toulouse downstream from the the Garonne. The navigable part of the river being downstream from the Bazacle, a guet located at the center of Toulouse, blocking navigation. Indeed, the channel could not pass by the economic heart of the area. It thus draws aside its layouts via Castres and by Girou.

Its techniques of study

In the same way, it sets up experiments as the drain of the Plain which will enable him to prove that it is possible to bring water until the threshold of Naurouze since the river of Sor in the Noire mountain by respecting the slopes and by feeding the whole with water.

Political context and economic

Colbert thus sees as a Pierre-Paul Riquet and his project a way of leading an economic expansion policy to the service of the Absolutisme in Languedoc. Indeed, Riquet proposes to set up the gabelle one and to build the channel of the South. Thus, the construction of the channel would make it possible to create a direct passage between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic without passing by the Straits of Gibraltar controlled by the Spaniards, the goal being to ruin the Spanish trade and to set up a commercial flow through Languedoc. Lauragais has many resources like the Blé, the wine of the Minervois, of cloths, the Soie and the salt which the producers have of the evil to export for lack of means of trade. Through the channel of the South, Colbert hopes to diffuse the raw materials in the various areas of the South, to reinforce the royal capacity and to disenclose Toulouse and its area.

The edict of Louis XIV and financing of the project

Work is launched in two phases called “undertaken”. The first company consists in connecting Toulouse until Trèbes and is estimated at: 3600000 pounds. But, the public purses are not very positive and the States of Languedoc are not ready to finance such a project for fear their funds are used for unforeseen expenditure. Then, in exchange of the property right and of exploitation of the channel, Pierre-Paul Riquet proposes to finance on his own funds part of work. The remainder is paid by the State in exchange of the benefit that Riquet realizes with the tax on the gabelle one. The second company of work between Trèbes and the pond of Thau in December 1668 cost: 5832000 pounds as well as a million additional books for the resumption of work of the port of Sète.

Final, the whole of work will have cost 17 million books of the time, a sum advanced for 40  % by the King, 40  % by the province and 20  % by Riquet itself, which will become the owner about it. Its descendants will continue to pay: 2000000 of books during more than 50 years.

The realization of the channel

As of 1671, begins the second company which consists in connecting Trèbes to the Mediterranean and to build the port of Sète (at the time called This ). This part of the channel poses problems on the level of the junction between the pond of Thau and Trèbes because the channel must cross the course of the Herault and that of the Libron. To circumvent the problem, engineer Riquet sets up a system of valves and boxes for Libron as well as a round lock at three doors for the pond of Thau and Herault. The round lock of Agde makes it possible to pass a level of the channel of the South but also to reach Herault. This part of the channel poses also problems on the level of the threshold of Ensérune and descent towards Trèbes in the valley of the Orb. To solve this second problem, it makes build with Fonséranes a row of eight hopper of locks until Orb. In 1681, work of the channel finishes with Béziers. However, in October 1680, Pierre-Paul Riquet dies during work. He will thus not see the end of his project. It is the engineer of the king, the Sheet, which takes over.

In May 1681, the channel is completely inspected on order of the king in order to check work and the good sealing of the channel. It is then officially opened with navigation on May 15th 1682. During the inauguration of the channel with Toulouse, on May 15th, the intendant of the king and the president of the States of Languedoc the first travel on the channel, follow-ups many other boats transporting corn in particular. After this inaugural voyage, the channel is given dry because the work is not completed; they will be really only in December 1682. The channel is opened with the traffic in May 1683 and the decree of reception of work published in March 1685.

Workmen and their social conditions

The financial conditions and social of use of these workmen are very favorable and unusual for the time. To keep its labor, Riquet pays its workmen rather well. But especially, it gives welfare benefits ever authorized before like the been unemployed days of rain, Sundays and the remunerated feastdays and finally the vacation disease. The Work contract is individual and is done by free Recrutement. The pay is at the beginning of 20 grounds per day, the double of agricultural wages. But, with the dissatisfaction with the agricultural owners, Riquet the pay with 15 then 12 grounds per day drops. In 1668, it founds the monthly payment of 10 books.

Trades and means implemented

The workmen are organized in sections controlled by captains and sergeants. Lastly, Pierre-Paul Riquet is surrounded by collaborator close relations like the general inspectors and the general inspectors of the channel.

The tools of the workmen are very limited: pickaxes, hoes and shovels to dig, baskets and stretchers for the transport of materials. They are provided to the workmen who must maintain them themselves. The Poudre is used to explode the rock.

Additional work

It also will build many works built to isolate the many rivers which are thrown in the channel, as well as épanchoirs to control the level of water. It builds forty-nine aqueducts and tubular bridges of which those of the Cesse, the Orbiel and Pechlaurier. Lastly, it reinforces most of the works and dams initially built by Riquet. This series of work, which lasts until 1694, largely improves the supply and management water. Antoine Niquet will have the load of the monitoring of the channel until in 1726.

However, the channel of the South still has gaps because it does not pass by Carcassonne nor by Narbonne and did not join the the Rhone. Moreover, to join Bordeaux, it is necessary to borrow the the Garonne from the variable flows and the violent risings. A junction called side Canal of the Garonne is put out of water in 1856, while the junction canal making it possible to join Narbonne via the Canal of the Caster hammer of Narbonne is built in 1776. The same year, the Canal of Brienne makes it possible to circumvent the roadway of the Bazacle, a ford on the Garonne in Toulouse. The connection between the pond of Thau and the Rhone is also completed in 1808. In 1810, a diversion of the channel makes it possible Carcassonne to be connected there. Lastly, in 1857, the side Canal of the Garonne is completed between Toulouse and Castets. The whole of this work marks the complete completion of the connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean of which Pierre-Paul Riquet dreamed.

The operation and life of the channel

The management of the channel

In Toulouse, a group of three people forms a steering committee: the managing director of work, the general receiver who fixes the taxes and the general inspector charged with the Comptabilité. The management of the channel ensures the monetary contribution in order to pay various work and the personnel engaged for the channel. In the years 1770, the taxes bring back an annual product of: 640000 pounds, devoted for half to maintenance and the wages, and for half for the benefits and the bottoms for exceptional work. In 1785, this benefit increases until: 950000 pounds, which was a very important sum for the time.

The maintenance of the channel

Lastly, the Rain, the Freezing and the Sécheresse oblige the managers to have an eye on all the course of the channel in order to repair the escapes and breaches which could open. Today still, the channel is subjected to the same constraints and the managers must ensure same work. They from now on are mechanized. Approximately 350 employees are placed at the disposal of the manager inland Waterways of France by the ministry for the equipment in order to ensure maintenance.

Economy around the channel

In 1684, the voyage Toulouse - Agde costs 1 book and half. The tariff is fixed by Lieue indicated by a column. Thus, a middle-class man pays 3 grounds per mile while a servant or a sailor pays 1 ground and half per mile. Offices of payment are all along the course. Each office indicates the tariff and provides the distances between each office.

The channel starts again the trade of corn and the wine in Languedoc, its goal principal. This commercial traffic causes to very quickly enrich the descendants by Riquet. The Corn, the Wine and the alcohol can be exported Lauragais towards Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseilles. The channel causes to widen the zone of sale of the producers of Languedoc. In the years 1730-1740, this trade is prosperous and the agricultural structures strongly improve. The channel also makes it possible to import into Languedoc of the products of other areas, like the Household soap, the Riz, the Amidon, of dried fish or of the spice S and the dyeings. However, it will be never the great international way ambitionnée by the kings de France, because its traffic will be limited to even local national exchanges.

The tariff of the transport of the goods depends on the transported matter. Thus, the 17th century, the transport of the Blé costs 12 sums of money per quintal, and that of the oats 6 sums of money per quintal.

Boats

During 250 years, the horses drew from many boats like rapids horse-drawn barges or long commercial boats. The horse can tractor draw up to 120 times its weight when the load is on water. It is included/understood why the men during used the horses like driving force so a long time. The animal haulage was then a strategic element of the operation of a channel.

The mail coaches or “cars of station” which transported the travellers were boats of a few tens of meters having a simple shelter on the bridge. These boats evolved/moved to become faster, more luxurious with living rooms and larger since most important could reach 30 meters length. The services inside these boats also evolved/moved with first classes in private living rooms and second classes in a common room. During the great hours of the channel, certain boats comprised living rooms of first class where one was used to dine.

The period before 1859 corresponds to the operation of the channel alone while after 1859 corresponds to the beginning of the installation of the railway ways in the south of France. The competition of the rail is quite visible with the reduction by two of the goods traffic between 1859 and 1879. Then, this traffic gradually continues to decline. As for the Railroad, the Bordeaux-Sète line counts up to 200 million tkm as of 1860. The management of the channel is taken again in 1898 by the State which tries successive investments to maintain its competitiveness. The State removes the taxes and tolls, which causes to start again the traffic on the channel to reach 80 million t-k in 1909.

End of the commercial traffic

At the exit of the First World War, the traffic is completely disorganized. In 1920, the goods traffic begins again quickly thanks to the arrival of the engine barges. Company HPLM (Harbor-Paris-Lyon-Marseilles) made sail about thirty boats on the channel of the South. The Second world war sees a deceleration of the traffic because of the shortage of Pétrole, but its revival is fast after the conflict and the traffic is able to be maintained to 110 million t-k. The channel suffers however from its too small size for the modern barges with strong tonnage. The rail competes with it more and more and road transport becomes also a second competitor. The waterway of the South becomes the third grid system. The goods traffic ceases in the years 1970. In 1980, it remains nothing any more but two boats ensuring a regular traffic between Toulouse and Sète. In 1991, the exploitation of the channel is entrusted to the administration of the inland Waterways of France, which remains its manager today.

The channel with the 21e century

Starting from the end of the 20th century, the channel offers many activities. He first of all plays still his office of channel by allowing the transit of boats between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.

A channel for tourism and the leisures

The channel of the South also makes it possible to practice other sports, primarily in the urban areas, like the Aviron, the Cyclotourisme, the Roller skate or the Hiking on the banks. A tarred section of 50 km between Toulouse and Avignonet-Lauragais and another of 12 km between Béziers and Portiragnes lend itself particularly to cycling and the roller skate. Moreover, many barges were converted into family residences, theaters, places of exposures or rooms of Restaurant.

A channel for water

The drain of the Plain conveys the water of the Sor which is collected by the catch of Crouzet Bridge for the irrigation before flowing in the Channel of the South. Moreover, individual taking away are carried out with the current on the sector ranging between Revel and the Seuil of Naurouze. In 1980, the Lac of Ganguise is built close to Castelnaudary making it possible to have a water reserve of 22 million. In 2005, the stopping is elevated in order to reach the capacity of 44 million. Close to the old basin of Naurouze, the pumping station of Naurouze makes it possible to control the water of the channel of the South and the water of the lake. An underground control, the gallery of Mandore, coming from Naurouze leads the additional water of the drain of the Plain to the lake of Ganguise. And conversely, in dry period, the lake of Ganguise can supply the channel of the South if the contribution of water of the drain of the plain is not sufficient.

The channel ensures also the supply Drinking water thanks to the treatment plants of water of Picotalen (Picotalen I and Picotalen II) since 1973. They belong to the installations carried out by the Interdépartemental Institution for the Hydraulic Installation of the Black Mountain (IIAHMN) since its creation in 1948 to meet the requirements out of water for the Lauragais. The factory provides water coming from the drain of Cammazes to nearly 185 communes.

A channel like inheritance

However, its maintenance is not carried out completion because of many actors are implied: three areas, six departments and local government agencies. These last do not want to support the labor costs of restoration and always do not dare to launch programs of valorization. The Platane S are in particular a source of problems because their roots destroy the tarred banks and cycle tracks, and their dead sheets invade the channel. The channel is a heavy inheritance to maintain and develop, because the administrative organization of the French channels, inland Waterways of France (VNF), is specialized in the management and the maintenance of the French channels within the framework of an economic and commercial market, and not in that of the tourist market in which the channel of the South is located. Moreover, the costs of maintenance are higher than on a traditional network because of outdatedness of the channel. Also, the exploitation of the channel generates low levels of benefit. VNF must thus try to set up local partnerships to develop and maintain the channel, its Budget not enabling him to ensure only the maintenance and the monitoring of the 360 km channels.

Moreover, the classification under the inheritance of UNESCO generates an additional level of monitoring on behalf of the State because it must check that any modification of the accesses of the channel and its works is compatible with the stakes of UNESCO. However, a report/ratio of the general inspection of Architecture and Inheritance in 2003 showed that the channel was in very bad condition, that many work and infrastructures devalue its accesses and finally that he suffers from an important real pressure. In testify to anarchistic constructions, the installations badly thought which denature the site, or the construction of modern Marina S on the ports of the channel. However, to respect the uniformity of installation of the channel and to support an effort of improvement, the channel of the South remains with the management of VNF under the supervision of the State, which wishes to create a mission of follow-up as for the the Loire and the Mount-Saint-Michel. For that, Riquet has to set up one of the systems of water supply of a channel of most complex. Indeed, its idea is to collect water of the Black Mountain, located at several tens of kilometers and to bring them to the threshold of Naurouze, not highest of the future channel, and this via drains.

These drains, called “drain of the mountain” and “drain of the plain” connect the 3 tanks higher than the threshold of Naurouze. The drain of the mountain is 24,269 km long and has with 22 works of art between the catch of Alzeau and the jump of Cammazes. While the drain of the plain is 38,121 km long with 21,45 m of made uneven and includes/understands 68 works of art, between the Crouzet Bridge and the threshold of Naurouze.

At the beginning, two tank S of width feed the high point of the channel to the Seuil of Naurouze: The Lac of Saint-Ironwood has a capacity of 6,3 million m ³ and was built between 1667 and 1672. The other tank, much smaller, called “Lampy-Old man” is quickly replaced by that of the “Lampy-Neuf”, of a capacity of 1,672 million m ³, built at the next century between 1777 and 1782.

The Lac of Saint-Ironwood was and will remain the major reserve of the channel with a surface of 67 ha. It receives water of the mountain Noire via the drain of the mountain which itself is fed by the basin of Lampy. Water of the lake is retained by a Barrage of 786 meters length and 149 meters broad, consisted of three parallel walls. The drain of belt surrounds the basin and makes it possible to evacuate the surplus of water. A museum is located close to the falls and makes it possible to discover the history of the construction of the lake.

In the beginning, the engineer had envisaged and built a third tank, that of Naurouze. But this last is abandoned since 1680 because of its important stranding. Pierre-Paul Riquet had dreamed around basin construction to with it of a new city which will never be born. A diversion canal will quickly be dug to avoid the basin of Naurouze, by the south.

Other tanks were also built on the level of Carcassonne in order to feed the low part of the channel towards the Mediterranean. Thus, water of the Fresquel, the Cease and the Orbiel comes to enlarge those of the channel. In addition, water of the Orb to Béziers brings an additional flow for the part is channel. In 1957, the Barrage of Cammazes of a capacity of 20 million m ³ is put out of water on Sor, supplementing and finalizing the feeder system. This work makes it possible to feed out of drinking water more than 200 communes of the area. On the 20 million m ³, four are reserved for the food of the channel of the South.

Locks

The locks are built out of stones of size sealed with the Chaux. They are closed by two doors with double casements. The doors, at the origin in Wood with less possible metal parts, are subjected to important constraints of moisture and pressure. They have a “sluice valve” ordered by a Crémaillère which makes it possible to evacuate the water of the hopper.

The nominal size of the locks built by Pierre-Paul Riquet is of 29,2 m length, 5,8 m of width on the level of the doors, 11 m in the center of the lock and on average 2,5 m height. At the 20th century, many locks were modified and thus do not have any more the initial characteristics.

Certain locks of the channel are jewels of architecture. Thus, the round lock of Agde has three doors: one of the doors gives access the channel while the second leads to the sea and the third gives access to the river Herault. This system makes it possible to have triple access while protecting the channel from believed from the river. In the same way, the channel has several multiple locks, i.e., having several coupled hoppers the ones with the others. This system makes it possible to save doors and foundations at the places where the slope is strongest. Most known of these locks is that of Fonsérannes, which has eight hopper.

Today, the majority of the locks are electrified, this system replacing the manual opening of the sluice valves and the doors of the locks.

Ports

Castelnaudary has a port of 7 hectares called “Large Basin” builds between 1666 and 1671. It was used as halt of semi-course between Toulouse and Sète. The Cybelle island located in the middle of the basin was used to protect the barges from the marine wind. Carcassonne, today, an important tourist stage of the channel, has a port built in 1810 when the city was attached to the channel. The port of Trèbes is a large port which has many moorings for the boats. One can also quote the port of Homps which was one of most important channel and the port of Somail which was a place of reception and very attended rest. Lastly, right before its arrival in the Mediterranean, the channel has two ports: that of Agde at the edge of which is still drawn up its old hotel of the “Administration of the Channel” and the port of Onglous with Marseillan which is the last port before Sète and its royal channel which gives access to the sea.

More recent ports were built like that of Ramonville-Saint-Agne, say Port-South, which gathers many barges as well as a residential unit giving directly on the port, or the Port-Lauragais located close to Avignonet-Lauragais on a Aire of highway of the A61.

Tubular bridges

• the Pont-canal of Hers
• the Pont-canal of Fresquel is built at the beginning of 1800 and is inaugurated on May 31st, 1810, following the modification of the layout, to pass in the center of the town of Carcassonne, city which had not wanted a channel with its creation
• the Pont-canal of Orviel
• the Pont-canal of Répudre is built between 1667 and 1676 to span the Répudre close to the village of Paraza, small tributary of the Aude whose flow is too variable especially in winter (length of the bridge: 135 m), it is also the first tubular bridge built by Pierre-Paul Riquet.
• the Pont-canal of Ognon
• the Pont-canal of the Cease
• the Pont-canal of Orb, which is not contemporary of Riquet, was inaugurated in 1857, thus removing the passage of the boats in the bed of Orb by the lock Notre-Dame

Other works

• the Tunnel of long Malpas 165 m in the south-east of the Oppidum d' Ensérune, and which makes it possible to cross a hill of 50 meters altitude, is still a technical challenge for the time;
• to épanchoir it theDouble one located at Redorte, work made up out of stone of size of eleven successive arches and contemporary of Vauban, its originator, was built by Antoine de Niquet and makes it possible to reject the water overflow out of the channel;
• the Pente of water of Fonsérannes, which makes it possible to short-circuit all eight hopper of the scale of Fonséranes, was built at the time where the channel was to be put at the Gabarit Freycinet, to save time and to allow to accept larger boats; it has had a single machinery whose maintenance is expensive but, for a few years, VNF tries to rehabilitate it to reduce the latency to the locks of Fonséranes.

Fauna and flora

It is also a very vegetalized place. At the origin, Pierre-Paul Riquet plant of the trees to stabilize the Bank S of the channel, especially where it is in overhang of the neighbouring grounds. The Saule is very much used for its rapid growth. The engineer plants also side of the channel of the Iris to reduce the crumbling of his banks. At the 18th century, the trees planted along the channel become a source of revenue. Thus, of the Mûrier S are planted for the breeding of Silkworm. Then, with the end of the culture of silk in 1772, the mulberry trees are replaced by the more productive Peuplier of Italy out of wooden. The works and the houses of lockkeepers are decorated of fruit trees. With the Revolution, the plantations around the channel represent approximately: 60000 trees whereas there was only: 45000 in the beginning. It is under the Empire that one will start to plant Platanes, today the dominant variety along the channel, to replace the cut trees.

The channel of the South like model

The channel of the South falls under the great achievements of the end of the 17th century, the Age of Enlightenment. It also fits in the thought of Descartes which thought that Nature could not be thwarted but that it had to be used, to adapt it within its system. It is the “world-machine” for Descartes. Riquet thus included/understood the hydraulic system of the Black Mountain and knew to control it to serve the channel of the South. The king Louis XIV which is the silent partner thus leaves a mark of his will of size.

The channel is also magnifié by the Encyclopédie or reasoned Dictionary of sciences, arts and the trades of Diderot and D' Alembert in 1765, which records the utility and the size of it. It compares it with Roman constructions. Another encyclopedist, Joseph Jerome Lefrançois de Lalande, rents the architectural and hydraulic realization in his work Of the ship canals and especially of the Channel of Languedoc in 1778. In the same way, Bernard Forest de Bélidor congratulates the originator in Hydraulic architecture . The channel becomes an example in Europe because it remains during all the Age of Enlightenment the only channel of this size in Europe.

Lastly, American Thomas Jefferson, politician, architect and future chair the United States, comes to study the channel of the South in 1789. Then, ambassador of the United States in France, it considers indeed, the realization of a similar work to connect the river Potomac to the Lac Érié.

Personalities related to the channel

• Pierre-Paul Riquet is the originator of the channel of the South. It obtains from the king the property and the exploitation of the channel of the South with life for him and its descendants. He dies in October 1680 before the end of work.
• Jean-Baptiste Colbert is a manager of the king Louis XIV. It is charged by the king with evaluating the cost and the feasibility of the project of Pierre-Paul Riquet.
• Sebastien Prestre de Vauban is an engineer and architect of the king who carried out many improvements on the channel of the South between 1685 and 1686.
• François Andréossy is the collaborator of Pierre-Paul Riquet. He controlled his work and assisted it during all work. It ensures the end of work after the death of Pierre-Paul Riquet.
• Louis Nicolas de Clerville is a French engineer who controlled and supervised the progress of the work. It helped and advised Riquet during work.

To deepen

Related articles

• Channel
• Bridge-Twins
• Channel of Brienne

External bonds

• CanalMidi.com: The site of association “Channel of midday in Languedoc”, for any knowledge on the channel of the South: history, technique, practice and discovered channel of the South in boat, with bicycle, roller, in rando or the car.
• CanalduMidi.com: The site which speaks about the history of the channel of the South and some anecdotes, in a preoccupation with a truth, with much of photographs.
• Site perso Canal-du-Midi.org
• the channel of midday in Toulouse (wiki of Toulouse)
• Cartocassini.org: The site where you can consult the old charts carried out by François Gariry. The charts are superb and very detailed.
• books.google.fr: Site where you will be able to consult and téléchager the book " History of the channel of Languedoc" writing by the descendants of P.P. Riquet and published in 1805.