Briare Canal
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The Canal de Briare is one of the oldest canals in France. It is the first summit level canal in Europe that was built using pound locks, connecting the Loire and Seine valleys.
[edit] Construction
The canal was initiated by Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, with support from Henry IV in order to develop the trade of grain, and to reduce the food shortages. Its construction started in 1604 and was completed in 1642. Between six and twelve thousand workmen worked on this canal which connects the basins of the River Loire and the River Seine. Hugues Cosnier obtained the contract to build the first canal crossing a watershed. It was thus necessary to use locks. A staircase of seven locks was built in Rogny. (This was bypassed in 1887 but is preserved as an ancient monument and floodlit at night.)
After Henri IV's assassination, Hugues Cosnier had to give up work in 1611. In 1638, Guillaume Boutheroue and Jacques Guyon applied to resume work, and received letters patent from Louis XIII for this purpose. They created with other nobles the "Compagnie des seigneurs du canal de Loyre en Seine" and work was completed by 1642. Ponds were dug for the approximately 2000 cubic meters of water displaced at each lock. They include the ponds of Turfs, Chesnoy, Grand-rû, Tilery, Du Chateau, Cahauderie, Beaurois, the Bourdon reservoir, and the Moutiers reservoir on the Loing.
[edit] Usage
By the mid 18th century more than 500 wine barges were in use bringing wines from Mâcon, Beaujolais, Sancerre, and Languedoc regions. Other cargoes included firewood, timber, coal and iron, faïence from Nevers and fruit from the Auvergne. All hauling was done by men, generally two to a boat.
Shortages of water in the reservoirs and Loire valley often resulted in 2-3 months closure per year.
[edit] Modifications
The canal was repurchased by the State in 1860.
In 1894 and 1895, a pumping station was built in order to bring water to the summit pound, to mitigate the insufficiencies of the ponds which fed the canal during periods of drought.
To connect with the Canal latéral à la Loire (built in the years 1820 and 1830), a tubular aqueduct was built on the Loire in Briare, of 1890 to 1896, by engineer Abel Mazoyer. The Briare Aqueduct is built on fourteen piles. On these piles is placed a single metal beam which supports a u-shaped basin which contains more than 13,000 tons of water (2.2 meters of depth). The width of the bridge, tow paths included, is 11.5 meters; and it is 662.7 meters in length. Eight sluices make it possible to empty the tubular bridge in the event of severe freezing.
