Bassin de Lampy
Encyclopedia
The Bassin de Lampy was created during 1777 and 1781 when a dam was placed on the Lampy Valley in the Aude
department in south-central France
. The reservoir provides a source of water for the Canal du Midi
. It was originally proposed in 1665 by the commission created by Louis XIV of France
to evaluate Pierre-Paul Riquet
's plan for the canal enterprise.
The original reservoir in support of the canal
was at Bassin de St. Ferréol. In 1776 a link was provided between the canal
and the Aude
and the Canal de la Robine at Narbonne
. This connection and an increase in barge traffic led to a requirement for more water.
A short time after the dam was complete, leaks were found. They were stopped by pouring a large quantity of quick lime into the reservoir. The particles of lime thus suspended and were carried into the leaking areas and filled all the openings in the joints of masonry and even into the stone.
The feeder canal from the basin to the canal is 52,552m.
The basin covers some 24 hectares and contains some 1,600,000 cubic metres of water. It flows into the Bassin de St. Ferréol.
Aude
Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother...
department in south-central 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 reservoir provides a source of water for the Canal du Midi
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...
. It was originally proposed in 1665 by the commission created by Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
to evaluate 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:...
's plan for the canal enterprise.
The original reservoir in support of the canal
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...
was at Bassin de St. Ferréol. In 1776 a link was provided between the canal
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...
and the Aude
Aude River
The Aude River is a river of southwestern France. Its source is in the Pyrenees mountains and it then runs to Carcassonne and turns, reaching the Mediterranean Sea near Narbonne...
and the Canal de la Robine at Narbonne
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
. This connection and an increase in barge traffic led to a requirement for more water.
A short time after the dam was complete, leaks were found. They were stopped by pouring a large quantity of quick lime into the reservoir. The particles of lime thus suspended and were carried into the leaking areas and filled all the openings in the joints of masonry and even into the stone.
The feeder canal from the basin to the canal is 52,552m.
The basin covers some 24 hectares and contains some 1,600,000 cubic metres of water. It flows into the Bassin de St. Ferréol.