Rigole de la montagne
Encyclopedia
The rigole de la montagne (trickle of the mountain) was an important facet of the Canal du Midi
, engineered by Pierre-Paul Riquet
in southern France
. The canal itself was built during 1666-1681. A critical aspect of the Canal du Midi was the supply of sufficient water to feed the canal. Each boat traversing its length would require a large quantity of water in the locks in order to climb or descend.
The original plan was to take water from the Sor River at Revel
via the rigole de la plaine
and transport it to the Bassin de Naurouze
to provide a source of water for the canal. In order to placate mill owners fearful that they would lose too much water from the Sor, the rigole de la montagne would supplement the Sor upstream from the rigole de la plaine
at Conquet. It was to collect water from the Alzau stream, as well as others, and divert them to the River Sor at Conquet.
In 1664, Louis Nicolas de Clerville
had the idea for a single large dam of the Laudot valley near Saint Ferreol, which became the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
. He also had the idea of digging a tunnel through the Cammazes
ridge to connect the rigole de la montagne to the reservoir in the valley without utilizing the Sor river at all. In 1686, the engineer, Marshal Sebastien Vauban
, extended the rigole de la montagne 4.5 miles from Conquet to connect it to the Bassin de St. Ferréol. The path included a 132-yard, 9 feet (2.7 m) tunnel at the village of Les Cammazes
.
In order to reduce leakage in some locations, the trench is lined with bricks. Beautiful walking paths accompany the waters flow.
The following is translated from the French Wikipedia article of this same name:
Canal du Midi
The is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
, engineered by Pierre-Paul Riquet
Pierre-Paul Riquet
Pierre-Paul Riquet was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi.-Background:...
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The canal itself was built during 1666-1681. A critical aspect of the Canal du Midi was the supply of sufficient water to feed the canal. Each boat traversing its length would require a large quantity of water in the locks in order to climb or descend.
The original plan was to take water from the Sor River at Revel
Revel, Haute-Garonne
Revel is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Location:Revel is situated about 35 miles east of Toulouse...
via the rigole de la plaine
Rigole de la plaine
The critical feature of the Canal du Midi was to provide sufficient water to ensure that the lock system continued to function, even through the summer months. The first part of this endeavor was the rigole de la plaine . It carried water from the Sor River, at Pontcrouzet, to the...
and transport it to the Bassin de Naurouze
Bassin de Naurouze
The Bassin de Naurouze is an octagonal holding tank, created during the building of the Canal du Midi as designed and built by Pierre-Paul Riquet. It was abandoned a few years after construction of the canal because of its recurrent silting problems. The flow of water from the...
to provide a source of water for the canal. In order to placate mill owners fearful that they would lose too much water from the Sor, the rigole de la montagne would supplement the Sor upstream from the rigole de la plaine
Rigole de la plaine
The critical feature of the Canal du Midi was to provide sufficient water to ensure that the lock system continued to function, even through the summer months. The first part of this endeavor was the rigole de la plaine . It carried water from the Sor River, at Pontcrouzet, to the...
at Conquet. It was to collect water from the Alzau stream, as well as others, and divert them to the River Sor at Conquet.
In 1664, Louis Nicolas de Clerville
Louis Nicolas de Clerville
Louis Nicolas de Clerville, aka Chevalier de Clerville, held many military positions during his life in France in 1610-1677. This article begins by referencing his experiences with Pierre-Paul Riquet and the building of the Canal du Midi....
had the idea for a single large dam of the Laudot valley near Saint Ferreol, which became the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
Bassin de Saint-Ferréol
The Bassin de Saint-Ferréol was created as the result of a large earth dam across the mouth of the valley of Laudot stream at St. Ferréol in the Montagne Noire. It was originally proposed by Chevalier de Clerville and accepted by Pierre Paul Riquet as an integral part of the Canal du Midi...
. He also had the idea of digging a tunnel through the Cammazes
Les Cammazes
Les Cammazes is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Demography:-References:*...
ridge to connect the rigole de la montagne to the reservoir in the valley without utilizing the Sor river at all. In 1686, the engineer, Marshal Sebastien Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
, extended the rigole de la montagne 4.5 miles from Conquet to connect it to the Bassin de St. Ferréol. The path included a 132-yard, 9 feet (2.7 m) tunnel at the village of Les Cammazes
Les Cammazes
Les Cammazes is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Demography:-References:*...
.
In order to reduce leakage in some locations, the trench is lined with bricks. Beautiful walking paths accompany the waters flow.
The following is translated from the French Wikipedia article of this same name:
- The channel begins at the intake of the Alzau (altitude 645 m) to Arfons in the Black MountainsMontagne Noire* Not to be confused with the Montagnes Noires in Brittany.The Montagne Noire is a mountain range in central southern France. It is located at the southwestern end of the Massif Central in the border area of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude departments...
and empties into the rigole de la plaineRigole de la plaineThe critical feature of the Canal du Midi was to provide sufficient water to ensure that the lock system continued to function, even through the summer months. The first part of this endeavor was the rigole de la plaine . It carried water from the Sor River, at Pontcrouzet, to the...
, which supplies water to the Canal du MidiCanal du MidiThe is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
. The trench collects waters from the southern slope of the Black MountainsMontagne Noire* Not to be confused with the Montagnes Noires in Brittany.The Montagne Noire is a mountain range in central southern France. It is located at the southwestern end of the Massif Central in the border area of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude departments...
. It collects water from different streams, especially Bernassonne, the Alzau, the Lampy, and Rieutord, and the dammed Galaube. It runs south of the reservoir CammazesLes CammazesLes Cammazes is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Demography:-References:*...
(which did not exist at the time of construction of the canal).
- A little further south of the village Les CammazesLes CammazesLes Cammazes is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Demography:-References:*...
, the channel changes its slope and passes to the north side. To cross the mountain, it goes through a tunnel masonry arch, the arch of VaubanVaubanSébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
, also called Breakthrough CammazesLes CammazesLes Cammazes is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Demography:-References:*...
. The tunnel is 122 m long and 3 m wide. The bridge was designed by the architect VaubanVaubanSébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
, after the death of RiquetPierre-Paul RiquetPierre-Paul Riquet was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi.-Background:...
. The front of the exit tunnel was rebuilt in the 18th century. Before the digging of the tunnel, the Rigole Mountain fed the Sor River in Conquet (altitude 620 m). The Sor was captured by the trickle of the plain near Sorèze at the Bridge Crouzet (altitude 245 m). Leaving the Breakthrough CammazesLes CammazesLes Cammazes is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Demography:-References:*...
, the channel flows into the stream of Laudot which itself feeds the reservoir Bassin de Saint-FerréolBassin de Saint-FerréolThe Bassin de Saint-Ferréol was created as the result of a large earth dam across the mouth of the valley of Laudot stream at St. Ferréol in the Montagne Noire. It was originally proposed by Chevalier de Clerville and accepted by Pierre Paul Riquet as an integral part of the Canal du Midi...
.