Estuary of the Gironde

The the Gironde (in Occitan Gironda , in Poitevin-saintongeais Jhirunde ) is a Estuaire South-west of the France located on two areas: the Aquitanian (Blayais out of Right Bank and Medoc out of left bank) and the area Poitou-Charentes (Charente-Maritime).

It is the common estuary of the the Garonne and the the Dordogne. It gave its name to the department of the the Gironde.

The estuary of the Gironde has a rich history thanks to the importance of the maritime trade which developed much. The influence of the port of Bordeaux was for a long time proven and attracted many boats. Today still, the Gironde allows the passage of many ships of which the immense ship being used as conveyer with the wings of the A380.

The Gironde and its banks hold a important inheritance. The landscapes are varied and the traditions still present grace in particular to the fishing. Other economies are present in this estuary like the oil or electric economy with the oil refinery of the Nozzle of Number combinations or the Nuclear plant of Blayais.

Geography

The estuary and its surroundings

The estuary of the Gironde starts with height of Ambès (Nozzle-in Ambès), not where meet two River, the the Dordogne and the the Garonne. It finishes with the Point-of-Serious on left bank, not of mouth in the Atlantic Ocean and to the point of Suzac on Right Bank.

The mouth can be delimited precisely by three points:

It sprinkles with a side the vineyards of the Medoc and other the vineyards of Blaye, famous vineyards of Bordeaux. The Gironde sprinkles the department and the following cities:

the Gironde: Blaye, Pauillac, the Verdon-on-Sea
Charente-Maritime: Royan, the Meschers-on-Gironde, the Mortagne-on-Gironde

The landscapes between left bank and Right Bank are completely different. On left bank of Macau to the Point-of-Serious , one finds a plain alluvial and low registers coming from the the Pyrenees where a wine landscape dominates. Close to the sea, the vines yield their place to the Dune S and some marshes are present that and there. On Right Bank, the landscape much more is marked and more diversified. One finds large Falaise S and large hills. The vines are less present than on other bank. Lastly, towards north, one finds large marshes close to the Saint-Ciers-on-Gironde, Braud-and-Saint-Louis and Saint-Thomas-with-Conac. Lastly, one finds dead cliffs containing of the dwellings troglodytes close to the Mortagne-on-Gironde.

Islands

Several islands are present in the estuary of the Gironde between nozzle-in Ambès and the mouth. Its islands underwent many modifications during times and according to the Running S and the displacement of the sand banks. North in the south of the estuary, largest are:

the island of Will suffer is most septentrional and oldest of the estuary. It contains pieces of Maïs and Vigne S as well as a Phare. This island was used as forty for the boats before accosting in the various ports of the estuary.
the island Bouchaud
the Nouvelle island is an island of natural reserve since 1991.
the island of the Fort Pie holds a fort built by Vauban in 1690 making it possible to control the access to the Gironde.
the Green island, the island of North and the Cazeau island are an insular group of 790 hectares. The green island is the only one to lodge a small village and one cultivates the vine there.
the Margaux island is an small island of 25 hectares. Very near to bank of the Medoc, 14 hectares of vine there are cultivated.
the island Macau

Formation

The Estuary is on a calcareous plate of the Crétacé, deposited there are 140 to 150 million years. The uplift of the the Alps and the the Pyrenees, there are 60 to 65 million years, froissa the layers of limestone. There is then a rising of the Saintonge ois with the Anticlinal of Jonzac. What format the cliff S notched of conches on Northern bank of the estuary and the plain of the Medoc in the south. Water will come to butt against this cliff and to form the estuary of the Gironde. For this period, the sea invades all the Aquitanian basin and it is only at the end of the tertiary era that water was withdrawn.

During the quaternary era, periods of great colds and heat follow one another. The sea waters are withdrawn during the glacial eras what causes a digging of the bed of the Gironde. Alluvial terraces are formed on left bank. But with the cast iron of the ices, the sea goes up and the Gironde fills its bed with alluvia and the slopes at the edge of the estuary soften.

There is: 2000 years the marshes are formed on two banks of the estuaries, then Dune S and Conche S appear about the year 1000. Today, the marshes were drained and the estuary always evolves/moves. In 1999, the island of the Crust disappeared under water and the Borough-on-Gironde is found opposite the the Dordogne instead of the Gironde.

Hydrology

the estuary of the Gironde is the largest estuary of Western Europe, with 75 km length and up to 12 km broad and a surface of 635 km2.

The Garonne and the Dordogne bring from 800 to 1000 m3 S -1 of Eau soft charged with Sédiment S; at the same time, twice a day, the rising Marée brings: 15000 to 25000 m3 of Sea water, which supports the formation of sand banks, mud-bound and island S. the meeting of fresh water, rich in alluvia, with salt water makes flocculate the argillaceous particles which form a " stopper vaseux" characteristic of water estuariennes. The Gironde carts each year from two to eight million tons of suspended particles. Part of the suspended matter (1,5 to 3 million tons per annum) settles, forming sand banks, the mud-bound ones and island S. The estuary of the Gironde is strongly subjected to the flow and the backward flow of the tides. This dynamic tide goes up very upstream in the estuary (up to 150 km of the mouth): Casseuil on the Garonne, Castillon-the-Battles on the Dordogne and Laubardemont on the Isle. At the time of the spring tides, the phenomenon of the Mascaret can occur and go up the river at a long distance. It is especially visible upstream, on the Dordogne and the Garonne. This wave is often surfée by the amateurs.

Navigation

The estuary is an important axis of Navigation and Transport of goods with the passage of cargo liner S, of Porte-conteneurs, tourism and fishing vessels. The transport of large gauges for construction Aéronautique is used for the transport of part of the fuselage of the A380 of Saint-Nazaire to Pauillac. It from there is transhipped on a barge or a Péniche of Airbus going up the Garonne until Langon.

History of navigation

The navigation of the Gironde starts during the Bronze Age with the trade of the tin coming from Cornouailles and the trade of the Cuivre coming from Spain. Barzan becomes a very developed port. This traffic will allow the emergence and the foundation of Burdigala by Bituriges Vivisques, i.e. the future town of Bordeaux. At the 9th century, the Viking S furrow water of the estuary and plunder the merchant ships.

But the sea traffic in the estuary develops with the arrival with the throne of kings d' Angleterre in Aquitaine at the 12th century. In 1152, the king of England Henri II Plantagenêt wife Aliénor of Aquitaine and perceives in dowry the grounds of Bordeaux. The estuary becomes the access road to the grounds of Bordeaux of king d' Angleterre and the trade of the Vin explodes. At the 13th century, the turn of Cordovan is built and makes it possible to facilitate the access to the estuary. The sea traffic is disturbed by the conflicts between the king of England and the king of France. Naval battles proceed there in 1406, 1442 and 1451.

From the 16th century, the destinations and the exchanges diversify. The tar, the corn and the resin forward by the Gironde. Fishing vessels leave for Newfoundland to fish the Morue. Bordeaux becomes a forwarding and processing center of cod for the rest of Europe. The English are replaced by the Dutchmen. The traffic is important and the trade of the flourishing wine. Dutch settles in the town of Bordeaux. It is also the beginning of the manufacture of ships and the implication of of Bordeaux in the life of the estuary.

At the 18th century, the estuary becomes an axis of very attended passage. The port of Bordeaux becomes the first French port. The Phare of Cordovan is built to help the boats to pass the master keys of the Gironde considered dangerous. Pilots of the estuary on board Cotre were trained to guide the boats in the Gironde to the various ports. It is during this period that the Gabare appears, ship dedicated to the transport of the goods.

The colonial trade and the trade of the wine attract many plunderers and enemies. In 1662, the king Louis XIV authorizes the armament of the boats to defend oneself. The Corsaire S invade the estuary and protect the trade. During the century, the corsairs of Bordeaux destroy many English ships and ensure the maritime trade at the time of course at sea to make plundering which one calls of the race S. the wearing of Bordeaux forms also part of the trade slave trader with in particular the triangular Commerce which makes many families of Bordeaux rich. On the whole, while having ensured 11,4% of the traffic French slave trader, Bordeaux was the second port slave trader of France, with equality with that of La Rochelle, but far behind the 41,3% of the port of Nantes.

But at the 19th century, Le Havre becomes the first wearing of France supplanting that of Bordeaux and the trade in the estuary decreases.

Vauban and the estuary

Vauban, the general police chief of the fortifications of the king Louis XIV, made build a defense system on the estuary starting from second half of the 16th century. The objective was to protect the estuary from the threat of the English and Dutch fleets. Blaye becomes the fulcrum of its defense system with the construction of the Citadelle of Blaye. But this fort is not sufficient and does not allow to control other bank of the Gironde. The range of artillery is not sufficient.

Between 1690 and 1693, Vauban made build Fort Medoc on left bank and Fort Pie on a small island in the middle of the Gironde. The building is built on a network of beams being used as solid foundation on a very moving ground. At the end of the 17th century, the bolt set up on the Gironde is finally ready. It will be put to the test by English in 1814 with the seat of the citadel and the capitulation of Napoleon.

Ports

There exists forty ports: industrial ports in generally visible minority but, marinas and natural fishing ports. These ports are generally in withdrawal in the grounds to be with the shelter of the Running S. They take seat in the old marshes of the Gironde.

the port of Lamarque on left bank is a wearing of loading and unloading of the vat ensuring the connection with the port of Blaye on Right Bank.
the port of Blaye is a marina being with the foot of the citadel.
the port of the Mortagne-on-Gironde is a pleasure and fishing port. It was formerly the fifth port for the importance of its traffic.
the port of Pauillac is the first port of the estuary.
the Médoc port with the Verdon-on-Sea is a modern port. It is the first green port of the Atlantic.

Vats

Three passages of vats make it possible to cross the Gironde:

all in north, a vat connects Royan to the Verdon-on-Sea (vehicle and passenger)
all in the south, another vat connects Lamarque to Blaye (vehicle and passenger)
between the two, a boat-frontier runner makes it possible to connect Pauillac to Port-Vitrezay (Saint-Sorlin-with-Conac) (momentary only)

Traditional boats

In the estuary of the Gironde, two types of traditional boats exist:

the Barge which allows the carriage of goods, in particular wine barrels exported since Bordeaux.
the Filadière which is a fishing vessel to veil which has a form of shuttle from where its name. As of the 17th century, this boat made it possible to fish with drifting nets.

Fishing

The fishing in the estuary of the Gironde is especially an activity centered on migrating fish: Alose S, Thin, Eel, Lamprey S and on small the white Shrimp S characteristics of the estuaries.

The fishing of the Elver or Civelle is a great tradition in the estuary, it is also most lucrative. These alevins of Anguille S are fished in the estuary thanks to Chalutier S carrying of large side nets, the " pibalours". These boats are also named boats dragonflies . Since the years 1980, the elver is sold on the Asian markets and profits from a strong added value. But the resource becomes exhausted and less and less elvers go up the estuary of the Gironde.

The Lamprey and the Alose are fished in spring. The Lamprey is cooked with of Bordeaux in its blood and of the wine. Lastly, fishing with the Maigre is very appraisal and strange in the estuary. This fish reproduces in the mouth of the Gironde on the level of the Bench of the Daisies. The male pushes growls which alert the fishermen: it is a fishing " with the écoute".

The Pêche with the sail needle is very widespread along the estuary. One finds many huts on pile along banks allowing to descend a square thread (the sail needle) to water. The term of sail needle also applies to the hut of fishing. It is a fishing randomly (one regularly goes up the net and one uses no soft food) practiced by the amateurs.

The fishing of the Esturgeon is completely prohibited since 1982. As from the years 1920, the Sturgeon - called locally created or créac - was fished in order to recover the invaluable Caviar. But, because of destruction of the places of laying (gravel pits of the Dordogne and the Garonne) and of an overfishing, the species is in danger of disappearance. Since the years 1980, an effort of safeguard of the species was set up in the estuary; but without much success. Breedings of sturgeons are present in Charente-Maritime and in the Gironde but the high species has nothing to do with the European Sturgeon. Indeed, it is about a fresh water fish, smaller, which belongs to the species Acipenser baerii (Siberian Sturgeon) whereas the indigenous species, the European Sturgeon ( Acipenser sturio ) is migrating a amphihalin which saw at sea and reproduces out of fresh water. Currently, the estuary of the Gironde is the only estuary in the world which sees passing the European Sturgeon to reproduce in the Dordogne or the Garonne. The estuary of the Gironde represents an essential zone of nourriciery for the youthful ones.

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