Étang de Thau
| Étang de Thau | |
|---|---|
| Thau Lagoon | |
From Sète
|
|
| Location | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Coordinates | 43°24′36″N 3°37′27″E / 43.41000°N 3.62417°ECoordinates: 43°24′36″N 3°37′27″E / 43.41000°N 3.62417°E |
| Type | lagoon |
| Basin countries | France |
| Max. length | 21 km (13 mi) |
| Max. width | 8 km (5.0 mi) |
| Surface area | 7,012 ha (17,330 acres) |
| Average depth | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Max. depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Settlements | Marseillan, Mèze, Bouzigues, Balaruc-les-Bains, Sète |
Étang de Thau (French pronunciation: [etɑ̃ də to]; Occitan: Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is the largest of a string of lagoons (étangs) that stretch along the French coast from the Rhône River to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the border to Spain in the Languedoc-Roussillon. Although it has a high salinity, it is considered the second largest lake in France.
It is about 21 km long and 8 km wide, with an area of 7,012 hectares. The mean depth of the lagoon is 4.5m, but in the central navigation channel it can be 10 metres deep. Near Bouzigues there is a 100-metre diameter depression of 30 metres. This 'Fosse de la Vise' is the source of a hot spring that feeds the spa in Balaruc.
Its size and depth, which distinguish it from other lagoons of the region, is explained by the geomorphology of the region: it is the anticline formed from folding which produced the corresponding syncline of the Gardiole in the north east.
Until relatively recently the lagoons from Marseillan to the Rhône were a continuous stretch of inland waterway. Early settlers described this as 'une petite mer intérieure et tranquille'. It provided access to, in particular, Marseillan - a fishing village that became a trade centre.
Linked, now, by the Canal du Rhône à Sète to the river Rhône and by the Canal du Midi to Bordeaux via Toulouse, the lagoon also has access to the Mediterranean at Sète. There is also a small canal 'le canal des Allemands' or the 'pisse-saume' that links the western end to the sea at Marseillan Plage. This canal is only suitable for small craft since both road and railway bridges restrict height.
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Wikipedia