Pond of Thau

The pond of Thau (in Occitan: Estanh de Taur ) or basin of Thau is the largest pond of the area Languedoc-Roussillon. It has a surface of approximately 7 500 hectares and an average depth of five meters (the major point being the hole of the North wind which reaches the 32 m depth). Its size and its depths, which distinguish it from the ponds of the area, are explained by the geomorphology of the sector; it is the anticline of a crumpling whose synclinal one is the mountain of Gardiole in the North-East. It is connected to the Mediterranean by Grau S with Marseillan (the Saume Piss) and with Sète.

Geography

The pond of Thau is in fact of a separate lagoon of the Mediterranean by a littoral sand cord connecting the volcano of Agde and the hill of Sète (the Saint-Clearly Mount). It is prolonged in the east by the pond of Water-White, partially filled today. In the west, one finds the pond and the marsh of Bagnas, properties of the Conservatoire of the littoral and holds ornithological protected. With the locality " Onglous" , the Canal of the South is thrown in the pond of Thau which connects it of this fact to the Mediterranean. The Canal of the Rhone with Sète connects it to the the Rhone. The average depth of the pond is of 4,50 m, but one finds funds of 10 m and a third of the funds is with more than 5,50 Mr. the maximum depth is of 30 m instead of the North wind.

The volume of water of the pond is of 340 million m ³. The pond receives:

rainwater: 48 million m ³ /an;
surface waters of brooks (Véne, Aygues Vaguenesses, Rushed, etc): 30 million m ³ /an; this water can bring possible pollution of various nature;
underwater spring waters of the North wind to broad of Balaruc-the-Baths: 9 million m ³ /an;
water of the Mediterranean via the graus of Piss-Saumes and of About fifteen with Marseillan-Beach and the channels of Sète: between 0,75 and 3,7 million m ³ /jour. The tide of the Mediterranean although weak makes feel its influence; in addition, the level of water drops by wind of north, and goes up when breath the wind of the sea.

The temperature of water varies between + 7°C and + 24°C.

Salinity evolves/moves during the year (weak from February to June, stronger from July to January). Water of the pond is well oxygenated.

Administratively, the pond is divided between the 7 communes héraultaises of Sète, Frontignan, Balaruc-the-Baths, Balaruc-the-Old man, Bouzigues, Loupian, Mèze and Marseillan.

Activities

The Service of the Maritime businesses is the public agency in charge with the operation and the control of the economic activities on the pond.

The pond of Thau is the place of economic activities:

productions of Oyster S and mould S;

Approximately 600 establishments Conchylicole S are installed there, producing more 12 000 tons of oysters per annum, and employing approximately 2 000 people.

fishing,
school of veil.

Ports

Marinas:

Sète : Barrou, the Cornice
Balaruc-the-Baths
Bouzigues
Mèze
Marseillan

Fishing ports and shellfish farming with:

Sète : Barrou, the Short Point
Bouzigues
Mèze: white Mourre
Marseillan

Fauna

The pond also shelters several animal species. Birds:

Brush garzette (Egretta garzetta), resident.
elegant Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), resident.
white Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), resident.
Pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), wintering.
Seagull of Audouin (Larus audouinii), wintering.
Grèbe with black neck (Podiceps nigricollis), wintering.
Héron buff-backed herons (Bubulcus ibis), reproduction.
Gull mélanocéphale (Larus melanocephalus), wintering.
Black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), reproduction.
Pipit rousseline (Anthus campestris), resident.
Tern caugek (Sterna sandvicensis), reproduction.
dwarf Tern (Sterna will albifrons), reproduction.
Tern pierregarin (Sterna hirundo), reproduction.

A rich person marine fauna (jellyfish S, Poisson S, Hippocampus S, Alga S…)

The pond of Thau is a fragile medium which it is necessary to protect from the pressure of the modern world (increasing urbanization, various pollution of origin).

See too

Lagoon

External bonds

Data sheet of the pond of Thau
Museum of the pond of Thau

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