Lake Der-Chantecoq
Encyclopedia
Lake Der-Chantecoq is situated close to the commune
of Saint-Dizier
in the departments of Marne
and Haute-Marne
. It is the largest artificial lake in Western Europe
, covering 48 km² with 350 million m³ of water. The lake is named after the Der
plain, in which it is located, and the submerged village Chantecoq.
The lake is fed by a 12 km long canal that branches off the river Marne
in Saint-Dizier
. The outflow of the lake is a canal that joins the Marne in Arrigny
, 20 km downstream of Saint-Dizier. The lake is located in the communes (clockwise starting from the north) Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement
, Éclaron-Braucourt-Sainte-Livière
, Giffaumont-Champaubert
, Arrigny
, Larzicourt
and Écollemont
.
so that flooding of the Seine
at Paris
would stop. It is managed by Les Grands Lacs de Seine. Its construction required the destruction of three villages; Chantecoq (Marne), Champaubert-aux-Bois et Nuisement-aux-Bois.
Today, many water sports are popular here, including sailing
, water skiing
, jet-ski, wind surfing, fishing
, rowing
etc. as well as walking, rollerblading and cycling around its edges.
es make the area ideal for waterfowl, most notably the common crane
. Each spring and autumn, tens of thousands of cranes assemble here in their migration between wintering grounds to the south and breeding sites in northern Europe. Other birds recorded in the area include white-tailed eagle
, great egret
, and various geese
, duck
s, loons (divers)
, and grebe
s. The surrounding area is rural, a region of farmland and forest
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saint-Dizier
Saint-Dizier
Saint-Dizier is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.It has a population of 31,000 and is a subprefecture of the department...
in the departments of Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
and Haute-Marne
Haute-Marne
Haute-Marne is a department in the northeast of France named after the Marne River.-History:Haute-Marne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. It is the largest artificial lake in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, covering 48 km² with 350 million m³ of water. The lake is named after the Der
Der
Der may refer to:*Der , an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq*Darkənd, AzerbaijanDER may be an acronym for:* FAA Designated Engineering Representatives...
plain, in which it is located, and the submerged village Chantecoq.
The lake is fed by a 12 km long canal that branches off the river Marne
Marne River
The Marne is a river in France, a right tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is long. The river gave its name to the départements of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne....
in Saint-Dizier
Saint-Dizier
Saint-Dizier is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.It has a population of 31,000 and is a subprefecture of the department...
. The outflow of the lake is a canal that joins the Marne in Arrigny
Arrigny
Arrigny is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-Geography:The river Blaise flows into the Marne in the commune....
, 20 km downstream of Saint-Dizier. The lake is located in the communes (clockwise starting from the north) Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement
Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement
Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, Éclaron-Braucourt-Sainte-Livière
Éclaron-Braucourt-Sainte-Livière
Éclaron-Braucourt-Sainte-Livière is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Haute-Marne department...
, Giffaumont-Champaubert
Giffaumont-Champaubert
Giffaumont-Champaubert is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
, Arrigny
Arrigny
Arrigny is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-Geography:The river Blaise flows into the Marne in the commune....
, Larzicourt
Larzicourt
Larzicourt is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
and Écollemont
Écollemont
Écollemont is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-Geography:The Blaise forms the commune's northern border.The Lake Der-Chantecoq forms part of the commune's southern border....
.
History
It was created in 1974 to hold the water of the River MarneMarne River
The Marne is a river in France, a right tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is long. The river gave its name to the départements of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne....
so that flooding of the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
would stop. It is managed by Les Grands Lacs de Seine. Its construction required the destruction of three villages; Chantecoq (Marne), Champaubert-aux-Bois et Nuisement-aux-Bois.
Today, many water sports are popular here, including sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, jet-ski, wind surfing, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, rowing
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
etc. as well as walking, rollerblading and cycling around its edges.
Flora and fauna
The combination of deep water, islands, and freshwater marshMarsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es make the area ideal for waterfowl, most notably the common crane
Common Crane
The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg...
. Each spring and autumn, tens of thousands of cranes assemble here in their migration between wintering grounds to the south and breeding sites in northern Europe. Other birds recorded in the area include white-tailed eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
, great egret
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
, and various geese
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
, duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, loons (divers)
Loon
The loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia...
, and grebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
s. The surrounding area is rural, a region of farmland and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
.