In French cinema is the setting of the film L'Eau vive by François Villiers is during the construction of the dam at Serre-Ponçon. Le canal aujourd’hui. 7km +415m/-408m. Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following departments and cities: The Durance's largest tributary is the Verdon. The middle part of the Durance runs through a landscape that changes as the valley increasingly widens. It then continues south combining with the Gyronde  — the Écrins glacial stream — at L'Argentière-la-Bessée. invasive are becoming more problematic including coypu[31] and the recently arrived muskrat. In the Middle Ages, the county of Forcalquier stretched all along the Durance, from Cavaillon to La Roche-de-Rame, close to Embrun. There are several dams along the middle part of the Durance. [17], The catastrophic floods of 1843, 1856, 1886 attained 5,000 to 6,000 cubic metres per second (180,000 to 210,000 cu ft/s)[18] For comparison, the Seine flooding of 1910 was estimated at approximately 2,400 cubic metres per second (85,000 cu ft/s). Christophe Garrone, “the artificial wetlands basic Durance”, Direction of the environment, of sustainable development and agriculture. [11] At the confluence with Ubaye, salmon used to thrive, and trout were found up as far as Sisteron, before the development of the river. For some families of birds the number of individuals also increased. The Durance is the longest river in Metropolitan France without a department named after it. [16] The flood of 1843 carried away several newly built suspension bridges: the 1829 bridge at Remollon, the 1835 bridge at Mirabeau, the unfinished bridge at Manosque and the 1838 bridge at Les Mées. The Durance (Durença in Occitan or Durènço in Mistralian) is a major river in south-eastern France. Ainsi, en plus de traiter les demandes de nos clients, les informations nous aident à améliorer le contenu de notre site, et à développer de nouveaux produits et services. The valley widens still further into an alluvial plain several kilometres wide (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) near Manosque). The river with its valley is an important biological corridor, within the national green infrastructure and the Pan-European ecological network. It washed away many cultivated alluvial terraces, broke dams and destroyed canals. The Latin form drou ("hard") changed into the proto-Occitan "dur". The existence of a bridge at Sisteron was recorded. Beyond Sisteron further rivers and streams join the Durance: Jabron, Vançon, Bléone near Les Mées and from the Asse (river) a few kilometres to the south of Oraison. Ces sédiments représente 550 millions de tonnes , soit environ 400 millions de t pour la seule Durance (l’équivalent d’une dune de 200m de large sur 10 m de haut sur 200km de long) Carte: source Ifremer Échelle: env 50km LA DURANCE. Lorsque la Durance change son cours pour devenir un affluent du Rhône , elle se jette d’abord dans le Rhône en amont d ‘Avignon , au nord du Rocher des Doms . Son contrĂ´le, qui vise Ă  assurer les besoins en eau et en ĂŠlectricitĂŠ tout en luttant contre les ĂŠtiages et les crues, est assurĂŠ par un ensemble d'ouvrages gĂŠrĂŠs par ÉlectricitĂŠ de France. Jean Giudicelli and Karine Viciana, "The Durance today", Direction of the environment, of sustainable development and agriculture. Depuis la fin des annĂŠes 1980, 36 espèces de poissons ont ĂŠtĂŠ recensĂŠes au total lors de l'ensemble des opĂŠrations d'ĂŠchantillonage, parmi lesquelles truites, brochets, carpes et barbots dominent. À partir du XIXe siècle et surtout durant la seconde moitiĂŠ du XXe siècle, elle subĂŽt d'importants travaux d'amĂŠnagement qui ont eu pour effet de dĂŠtourner la majeure partie de ses eaux vers l'ĂŠtang de Berre. Montgenèvre fait partie des plus anciennes stations de ski de France. The canal is made out of concrete, and the aqueducts out of stone or stone and brick. Courbes. Other goods were transported by the river, including salt, those these were subject to ten tolls along the 300 kilometres (190 mi) of the river.[43]. The first known irrigation canal is the Canal Saint-Julien, dug in 1171 by the Marquis de Forbin. Une partie de la Durance constitue la frontière mĂŠridionale du Parc naturel rĂŠgional du Luberon et du dĂŠpartement du Vaucluse. Au Moyen Âge, l'itinĂŠraire devint un important chemin pour les pĂŠlerins. Toutefois, le lit actuel tend Ă  se fixer et sa largeur s'est considĂŠrablement rĂŠduite. The Durance receives only one significant tributary on this last part of its course: the Calavon, which flows around the Lubéron range to the north. There remain some black spots in the valley (downstream from the Arkema factory at Château-Arnoux, below the confluence with the Calavon.[31]. France Montagnes est l'association regroupant les principaux acteurs du tourisme de montagne en France afin de promouvoir la destination et ses bienfaits à l'échelle nationale et internationale. The valley narrows for a few kilometres until the water gap at Mirabeau, at a depth of 200 metres (660 ft),[10] then widens again into an even broader plain until the confluence with the Rhône south of Avignon. [23] It was followed by the Adam de Craponne canal, 50 kilometres (31 mi) long, dug in nine months in 1554 from Silvacane to Arles), the canal des Alpilles, the canal de Marseille, the canal de Carpentras, the canal de Manosque, the canal de Ventavon, and the hundreds of other smaller ones,[24] totalling 540 kilometres (340 mi) dug between the end of the 16th century and the end of the 19th century.[25]. The Durance then flows south-south-west and flows into the Lac de Serre-Ponçon just downstream of Embrun. [40] Gallo-Romans used the towpaths (helciarii) and the wind to move upstream. sables, galets) de l’ensemble du Rhône, dont la Durance apportait 70%. It sometimes needed several ferries to cross the various arms or channels. The 1852 floods affected the entire basin of the Durance, from Sisteron to its confluence in Avignon. Les dĂŠpartements et principales villes traversĂŠs sont : Au Pliocène, la Durance ĂŠtait un fleuve et se jettait dans la mer au niveau du golfe de Fos : ses dĂŠpĂ´ts ont formĂŠ la plaine caillouteuse de la Crau. Water quality is considered good in the higher valley, in spite of the number of dams, which deprive the Durance of the power needed to carry sediment away. The Durance is documented in Ancient Greek as drouentios potamos and in Latin as Druentia (1st century), Durantia (854, 1271) and Durentia (1127). Although it was difficult to cross, except in Sisteron, the Durance was nevertheless navigable. The 320 millimetres (13 in) depth variation results in significant temperature variations, from 0 to 28 °C (32 to 82 °F) seasonally; daily temperatures have 7.5 °C (45.5 °F) of amplitude in the summer and 10 °C (50 °F) in the winter. La Durance prend sa source dans les Hautes Alpes, à 2632 m d'altitude, au mont Chenaillet, près du col de Montgenèvre et donc de la frontière italienne. [19] Even lesser floods were devastating. It can vary between 40 cubic metres per second (1,400 cu ft/s) (the most severe low water levels) and 6,000 cubic metres per second (210,000 cu ft/s) in catastrophic historic floods,[12] levels reached in 1843, 1882 and 1886. Randonnée sans difficulté Possibilité de rallonger la randonnée en rentrant par le lac Noir Les Fraches et la Chau. The river itself becomes steeply banked by terraces, and carves a channel, sometimes a few metres deep, sometimes tens of metres deep. Les diffĂŠrents ĂŠcosystèmes interdĂŠpendants qui correspondaient Ă  cette morphologie (en eau vive et en eau morte) cèdent aujourd'hui leur place Ă  des ripisylves. The bas-reliefs at Cabrières-d'Aigues depict the river being used for the transport of various liquid food products such as wine and olive oil. It is also depicted beneath a sculpture of a pregnant woman in Charleval, Bouches-du-Rhône. gravel banks, brought by the floods, and generally without or with little vegetation; sand and silt banks, which can be highly fertile for plants like willow. Claude Gouron (photographer), Helene Vésian (author). Here the river was diverted for the development of modern agriculture and the construction of the A51 motorway. [41], This trade fed the activity of an important port, near to the crossroads at Sisteron, at the place called 'Le Bourguet'. La Durance, de part ses fortes variabilités saisonnières, ses débits et l'intensité de ses débordements, fût jusque dans les années 1960 et la construction du barrage de Serre-Ponçon, une rivière périlleuse tant pour sa navigation que pour sa traversée. Formation gĂŠologique, hydrologie et amĂŠnagement, 4. irrigation and the supply of water to towns; the Durance-Verdon project produces 6 to 7 billion kWh per annum (10% of the French hydroelectric production); the reservoirs provide drinking water to the whole area, and irrigate all of Provence (a third of all French irrigation); the lakes are a tourist attraction (Serre-Ponçon attracts 10% of the tourists visiting Hautes-Alpes); although routine floods are prevented, the project cannot have any effect on major floods, as shown by the flood of 1994, which reached 3,000 cubic metres per second (110,000 cu ft/s) in Cadarache. NĂŠanmoins, son cours constituait aussi une voie majeure reliant les Alpes Ă  la Basse-Provence : Ă  ce titre, la Voie Domitienne romaine suivait son lit jusqu'aux Alpes pour desservir la Narbonnaise. Hydroelectric installations and chains of locks on the Durance, and its tributaries the Verdon, Buëch and Bléone had the most significant economic impacts and are the most visible change in the landscape. This is a list of rivers longer than 20 kilometres (12 mi) that flow into the Durance. [37] During the Riss glaciation, the source of the Durance was at Sisteron, where the icecap finished. La Durance, une sp cialiste du coup ! This division allows surveying and mapping of the land at risk.[49]. These habitats include both mountain and Mediterranean types. The Durance is 305 kilometres (190 mi) long from its source at the foot of Sommet des Anges, at 2,390 metres (7,840 ft) high, above Montgenèvre, to its confluencewith the Rhône. The volume of water flowing through the canal is 10 cubic metres per second (350 cu ft/s) with the slope of 0.36 metres per kilometre (1.9 ft/mi). 02:00. [47] Starting from the 12th century, wood bridges were also built. The river only runs through the towns of Briançon and Sisteron — built where the banks are very steep — the other towns are built on slopes close to the river: The Durance catchment area extends to three other departments: Var, Drôme and Alpes-Maritimes. There are approximately 75 species of mammals in the Durance catchment area, including: Eurasian beaver, southwestern water vole, Eurasian water shrew, many species of bat (barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus, large murine (Myotis myotis), large rhinolophe (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), minioptère of Schreibers (Miniopterus schreibersi), small murine (Myotis blythii), small rhinolophe (Rhinolophus hipposideros), vespertilion with indented ears (Myotis emarginatus), and vespertilion of Capaccini (Myotis capaccinii)). Source de la Durance (Randonnée Pédestre) En cache. Catherine Lonchambon, “From one bank to another: the “trail ferry””, p.33. Jusqu'au pont de Mirabeau, la pente de la Durance est forte (trois pour mille) et explique tant l'importance historique des digues dressĂŠes par l'Homme sur son cours (notamment Ă  Sisteron, Manosque et Pertuis ; les premières connues datent du XIIe siècle), que le dĂŠveloppement des villes situĂŠes Ă  proximitĂŠ de son cours en hauteur, Ă  l'abri des crues. [7], At Mirabeau, the lowest flow was 27 cubic metres per second (950 cu ft/s) (during the drought of 1921) i.e. Des bacs devaient permettre de la franchir, notamment Ă  la hauteur de Pertuis, ville dont le nom conserve le souvenir de cette fonction. Later it becomes a Mediterranean river with the characteristic morphology. Après son passage dans d'ĂŠtroites gorges alpines sur son cours supĂŠrieur (en amont du lac de Serre-Ponçon), le bassin versant de la Durance, qui couvre au total près de la moitiĂŠ du territoire de la rĂŠgion Provence-Alpes-CĂ´te d'Azur, est caractĂŠrisĂŠ par une plaine fertile qui s'ouvre de part et d'autre du piĂŠmont de son cours moyen (jusqu'Ă  la cluse de Mirabeau) et s'ĂŠtale jusqu'au massif du Luberon au nord et jusqu'aux Alpilles au sud sur son cours infĂŠrieur. De nos jours, enfin, l'autoroute inachevĂŠe de Sisteron–Gap bĂŠnĂŠficie encore de la pĂŠnĂŠtrante qu'offre la Durance pour dĂŠsenclaver la haute Provence et, Ă  terme, le Champsaur. One-hundred-ten species of animal hibernate there. Cecile Miramont, Denis Furestier, Guy Barruol, Catherine Lonchambon, This page was last edited on 23 September 2020, at 03:27. Its direction changes from southerly to westerly then northwesterly, aligning with the small Provençal mountain ranges between which it flows (Alpilles and Luberon). La Durance prend sa source à Montgenèvre, dans le département des Hautes-Alpes à une altitude d'environ 2300 mètres. ›› Durance ou Clarée ? De nos jours, le canal de Marseille n’est plus l’unique source d’approvisionnement de la ville en eau potable, il y contribue pour près de 70%.Le canal de Provence, construit dans les années 1970, en fournit le tiers restant, en puisant dans le Verdon.. Les affluents de la Durance sont Ă  dominante salmonicole avec un peuplement faible. The confluence with the Ubaye was flooded as the lake filled. [38] As the ice-cap receded, the Durance course changed towards the west, between Luberon and Alpilles, and flowed into the Rhône.[38]. Twelve million years ago, the Durance flowed directly into the Mediterranean. La vallée de la Durance ouvre une longue route de Briançon aux plaines du bas Rhône à travers une série de bassins intramontagnards et de plateaux (l'Embrunais, le Gapençais, le plateau de Valensole et le bassin de Manosque), séparés par des défilés. Elle se jette dans le Rhône à quelques kilomètres au sud-ouest d'Avignon, entre le Vaucluse et les Bouches-du-Rhône dont elle matérialise la limite. Philippe Autran, "The highway network from the 19th to the 20th centuries: revolution with mechanization", in Autran, Guy Barruol and Jacqueline Ursch. a ratio of 1:133 between minimum and maximum.[21]. Guy Barruol, “the Durance in Antiquity and with the Middle Ages”, p.25. They lasted varying times until they were destroyed in various ways: In 1843, 1856, 1882 and 1886 there were catastrophic floods. The irrigation syndicates and the local services that maintained the roads and bridges requested exceptional help from the State. This descent stays relatively steep after this confluence, then shallows to approximately 0.33% in its middle course (to the Mirabeau bridge), then 0.24% in its lower course. All these rivers have their sources in mountains, and are fast-running. La Durance nait à Montgenèvre dans les prés d’altitude, proche du Chenaillet, vers 2300m d’altitude. Ce territoire, terre française à l'influence italienne, successivement carrefour commercial puis forteresse militaire, souffre aujourd'hui de son enclavement. The lowest water levels occur in winter in the upper valley, and in summer in the middle and lower part of the river. L'amĂŠnagement contemporain de la Durance, entrepris Ă  partir de janvier 1955 et de la ÂŤ Loi d'amĂŠnagement de Serre-Ponçon et la basse Durance Âť a considĂŠrablement modifiĂŠ l'hydrologie de la rivière. À partir du confluent de la Durance avec l'Ubaye, un canal utilise la majeure partie de son dĂŠbit pour alimenter quinze centrales hydroĂŠlectriques. The construction of the Marseille canal in the middle of the 19th century allowed the metropolitan area of Marseille to develop quickly. At Cadarache an experimental nuclear fusion reactor, ITER, is under construction. Dans le lit naturel, il reste aujourd'hui les rejets des canaux d'irrigation secondaires Ă  vocation agricole (leur alimentation est faite par le canal E.D.F. (Dans le cas oĂš le nombre total de contributions est supĂŠrieur au nombre affichĂŠ sur la page d’historique du document, veuillez utiliser les liens de navigation pour obtenir la liste complète des auteurs. Consequently, it is classified as a Natura 2000 protected area. Or, la Durance y joue un rĂ´le majeur, puisqu'elle y constitue Ă  la fois la principale ressource en eau et la principale voie de communication vers le nord-est. [29] These channels can take up to 250 cubic metres per second (8,800 cu ft/s), so that it is only at the time of high flows that the water not diverted uses the river's natural channel. La faune s'est quant Ă  elle dĂŠveloppĂŠe durant les dernières dĂŠcennies : en particulier, plus de 300 espèces diffĂŠrentes d'oiseaux peuplent la Durance, soit en permanence (un peu moins de la moitiĂŠ), soit lors de migrations saisonnières. Catherine Lonchambon, “From one bank to another of the Durance: strange boats”. This runs near to Montgenèvre and then flows into the larger Clarée river, and then passes through Briançon before the Guisane joins it. The silt in the river bed has become stabilised by vegetation and this also reduces the flow. In addition to main dam at Serre-Ponçon, there are dams at Espinasses, Sisteron, L'Escale and Cadarache. At Serre-Ponçon, its basin of 3,600 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi) can create a flow as low as 18 cubic metres per second (640 cu ft/s) and a maximum flood of 1,700 cubic metres per second (60,000 cu ft/s) (value recorded in 1957).[11]. The width across the surface of the canal is 9.4 metres (31 ft), and 3 metres (9.8 ft) at its base. C'est dans le Briançonnais, à Montgenèvre, que la Durance prend sa source. La longueur entre sa source et son embouchure est de 323,8 km. Jacques Sapiega, géorama, "The Durance & The Verdon". Just before the narrow gap in the mountains at Sisteron, the Durance joins Buëch and the Sasse. Parmi les accidents gĂŠologiques qui ont dĂŠterminĂŠ le tracĂŠ actuel du cours de la Durance, il faut citer l'enfoncement de la rivière dans le Gapençais, dans la barre de Sisteron et enfin dans l'anticlinal de Mirabeau oĂš la cluse de la Durance atteint 300 mètres de profondeur. La Durance is also the name of an academic bulletin by history and geography professors at Aix-Marseille. 4/67 Durance Helicopter Squadron created in 1976, is charged with protecting the air force base at Apt-Saint-Christol and the nuclear missile site at Plateau d'Albion. Il peut varier exceptionnellement de 70 Ă  10 000 mètres cubes par seconde, avec une moyenne ĂŠtablie entre 125 et 350 mètres cubes par seconde. Pour the §, Jean Giudicelli and Karine Viciana, “the Durance today”, p.60. D' Espinasses à Venterol, c'est aussi le berceau de la Route des Fruits et des Vins. Son embouchure dans le Rhône se trouve à Avignon, préfecture du Vaucluse. Henri Pignoly, “the problems of believed and the culture of the risk” Direction of the environment, of sustainable development and agriculture. Options . À partir de la retenue, un canal bĂŠtonnĂŠ, dit ÂŤ canal de la Durance Âť ou ÂŤ canal E.D.F. The major part of the flow was diverted into canals downstream from Serre-Ponçon, and the flow in the river's natural bed is a minimal flow of 2 to 5 cubic metres per second (71 to 177 cu ft/s), which is only 1/40 of its natural flow. La Durance prend ses sources vers 2 390 mètres d'altitude, au pré de Gondran, sur les pentes du sommet des Anges . ), 3. L'ouvrage le plus important issu de ces travaux est le barrage hydroĂŠlectrique de Serre-Ponçon (1961), dont la retenue homonyme constitue le plus grand lac artificiel d'Europe. The Durance provides today two-thirds of the water for the city of Marseilles. Beginning in the 1950s, aggregate was extracted from the river bed for road surfacing and wear-resistant concrete. Average monthly discharge (m 3 /s) at Saint-Paul-lès-Durance Course [ change | change source ] The Durance starts in the pré de Gondran (" meadow of Gondran"), on the east side of the Sommet des Anges mountain , in the commune of Montgenèvre (a ski resort near Briançon ), Hautes-Alpes department, at an elevation of about 2,325 m (7,628 ft). Durant l'AntiquitĂŠ, la rivière (parfois assimilĂŠe Ă  un fleuve) ĂŠtait rĂŠputĂŠe pour ĂŞtre difficilement franchissable en raison de ses eaux tumultueuses et de la largeur de son lit. La Durance Entourée des sommets de Château Jouan (2565 m), des Anges (2459 m) et du Chenaillet (2650 m), la Durance* prend sa source à 2280 m d'altitude dans le domaine skiable de Montgenèvre. La Durance est une voie de communication importante et ancienne . Clébert & Rouyer, "La Durance", pp.11-12. Le canal de Marseille prend sa « source » dans la commune de Saint-Estève-Janson et se termine à la Ciotat. Several specialized businesses maintained this system transport. La Durance aurait pu porter le nom de Clarée ! Rail viaduct for the old Paris - Marseille line south of Avignon. At the outlet into the Lac de Serre-Ponçon, the medium flow is 81 cubic metres per second (2,900 cu ft/s);[7] at Oraison it is 123 cubic metres per second (4,300 cu ft/s)[7] and after the confluence with the Verdon, flow reaches 174 cubic metres per second (6,100 cu ft/s)[7] (250 to 330 m³/s in spring, 100 m³/s in the summer[13]). Catherine Lonchambon, “From one bank to another: the “trail ferry””, Direction of the environment, of sustainable development and agriculture. [13], The height of the water at the gorge at Cadarache is at 472 millimetres (18.6 in), after an average of 750 millimetres (30 in) of rain because 63% of the rain flows into the Durance. It is 80 kilometres (50 mi) long with 17 kilometres (11 mi) underground. However, a longer route is traced by the Clarée-Durance system with a length of 325 kilometres (202 mi). The sources of the water are a combination of melting snow and the drainage of rain from the surrounding hills and plateaux which have a Mediterranean climate. There were only 10 raftmen remaining in 1896 and only one in 1908.[44]. Its descent is unusually rapid at 81 m/km (165 ft/mi) in its first 12 km (7.5 mi), then 15 m/km (30 ft/mi) to its confluence with the Gyronde, and then still nearly 8 m/km (16 ft/mi) to the confluence with the Ubaye. 300.000 – 120.000 ans. [32], The populations of algae and water plants (100 species on average) and water invertebrates (77 species) are more varied than before the dams compared with populations on the similar Asse and Buëch. La baignade est interdite en moyenne et basse Durance et la pèche y est règlementĂŠe. [14], These increased in number and force from the second half of the 16th century, though lessened in the 20th century. Otters have recently become extinct in the entire catchment area. Accès professionnels : Espace Presse - … Vitesse Denivelé horaire Puissance. Vous avez la permission de copier, distribuer et/ou modifier ce document selon les termes de la Licence de documentation libre GNU, version 1.2 ou plus rĂŠcente publiĂŠe par la Free Software Foundation ; sans sections inaltĂŠrables, sans texte de première page de couverture et sans texte de dernière page de couverture. the ancient bridge of Sisteron which was rebuilt in 1365. the best known writer to be inspired by the Durance. The dams in the valley have reduced the incidence of floods and so have allowed the colonisation of alluvial space by alder and poplar in riparian forests. Along the river there are many habitats of both regional and European importance that are naturally governed by the varying flow of the river. La source se trouve à proximité de l'ancien Fort du Gondran, sur la commune de Montgenèvre , dans le département français des Hautes-Alpes, près de la frontière italienne. Ainsi, en plus de traiter les demandes de nos clients, les informations nous aident à améliorer le contenu de notre site, et à développer de nouveaux produits et services. Son bassin, qui couvre une superficie de 14 200 km2, soit la moitié de la région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, est, après celui de la Saône (30 000 km2), le plus important bassin affluent du Rhône. La Durance prend sa source à Mongenèvre, à 1830m d'altitude. This descent stays re… Options. In more recent times even suspension bridges often had to be re-built after floods. At the confluence with the Rhône, the average natural flow of the Durance is approximately 190 cubic metres per second (6,700 cu ft/s), with a high annual variability. De façon générale, nous utilisons les informations que vous nous fournissez pour la gestion et le développement de notre activité. The flood of 31 May and 1 June 1877 swept away the bridge of Tallard. [15], Between 1832 and 1890, the Durance had 188 floods of more than 3 metres (10 ft) (measured at the Mirabeau Bridge). The Romanian surrealist painter, Victor Brauner, took refuge in 1942 in Remollon and made several paintings on materials that he found.[52]. The predictable water levels have also allowed development of the local economy through summer tourism. À l'ĂŠpoque prĂŠromaine, elle constituait notamment une frontière naturelle entre diffĂŠrents peuples gaulois ĂŠtablis le long de son lit, comme les Cavares (Cavaillon) et les Salyens (Bouches-du-RhĂ´ne). Au Quaternaire, après avoir ĂŠtĂŠ captĂŠe par un affluent du Coulon, son cours fut dĂŠtournĂŠ vers le RhĂ´ne, qu'elle joint aujourd'hui non loin d'Avignon. [1] They are listed in order of the confluence, starting upstream. A river is known as "capricious", alternating between its feared flash floods (it was called the third plague of Provence) and its low water levels. In 1955, the law defined the EDF Durance-Verdon project had three objectives: Over 40 years, this project required the construction of 23 dams and water extraction points starting upstream of Claux sur Argentiere down to Mallemort and the supply of 33 hydroelectric power stations and several control stations.[27]. Elle prend ses sources vers 2 390 mètres d'altitude, au pré de Gondran, sur les pentes du sommet des Anges. Bassin versant de la Rivière: Le Rhône et les cours d'eau côtiers méditerranéens: Coordonnées géographiques de la source de la Rivière La Durance: Latitude: 44° 53' 37'' Nord (44.8936°) Longitude: 6° 43' 17'' Est (6.7213°) La source de la Rivière est à une altitude de 2 343 m. Confluent La rivière Durance prend sa source au départ de Montgenèvre, à 2 300 mètres d'altitude, et continue sa traversée pendant plus de 300 kilomètres pour se jeter dans le Rhône. In the 12th century the Durance had swept away the town of Rama (between Briançon and Embrun, with the confluence of Biaisse) . The Durance played a very important part in the history of Provence, and largely contributed to the economic growth and population of the Marseilles area, after having been an obstacle for centuries. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is 323.2 km (200.8 mi) long. The oldest known one was the one between La Roque-d'Anthéron and Cadenet (in Gontard), recorded in 1037. Son autre nom est canal edf de sisteron, rivière la durance L'ensemble constitue un dĂŠbit jusqu'Ă  dix fois infĂŠrieur au dĂŠbit estival (d'ĂŠtiage) antĂŠrieur Ă  la mise en eau de Serre-Ponçon. L'ensemble couvre trois ÂŤ territoires Âť distincts : les massifs alpins du sud, le piĂŠmont prĂŠ-alpin de haute-Provence et la plaine de basse-Provence. Sujet: Re: Source de la Durance Dim 5 Aoû 2012 - 18:49 Pas forcément moins ou plus ouvert, simplement compenser l'exposition (en -). The source of La Durance is on the northern slope of the Sommet des Anges, where the first small streams combine into a river. The few factories that used the river's energy have closed (an aluminium factory at L'Argentière-la-Bessée) or are being closed (Arkema at Saint-Auban). Ludwigia, the primose willow, is an invasive plant having gradually spread since 1986 in the stagnant water in dead gravel pits and ponds. [45] Thereafter, there is evidence of ferries at many other places notably Rognonas, La Brillanne (13th century), Noves, Orgon, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Meyrargues, Pertuis, Peyrolles, that of Cante-Perdrix in Mirabeau, Manosque, Giropey, Château-Arnoux, Le Bourguet, Volonne, Bompas. This programme was an almost complete success: The Durance used to have an average natural flow of 188 cubic metres per second (6,600 cu ft/s) and behaved like a Mediterranean river, but dams and canals have changed it considerably. Les principaux affluents de la Durance sont : Parmi ces derniers, le Verdon a fait l'objet d'un amĂŠnagement hydroĂŠlectrique simultanĂŠ Ă  celui de la basse Durance sur son cours moyen et infĂŠrieur. In pre-Roman times, the Durance was the border between various Celto-Ligurian people established along its course, such as the Cavares (Cavaillon) and the Salyes (Bouches-du-Rhône). A statue of Janus was erected at Montgenèvre, the only passage between Cisalpine Gaul and Gallia Narbonensis[39]Strabon (1st century) reported that a ferry was established in Cavaillon,[40] The great Roman way from Spain to Italy only crossed the Durance at Cavaillon and Sisteron.