Mountain canals and the irrigation system
© Patrick Smith
An irrigation system laid out in the Middle Ages is still in evidence on the mountainside in the Ecrins. Enjoy the cool air and refreshing shade along the canal banks, known here as "béals".
Buried under snow in wintertime and victims of drought in summer, European mountain dwellers have succeeded in domesticating a multitude of waterways over time. During the Middle Ages, a closely knit irrigation network was created, composed of canals, ditches and conduits of hollowed larch trunks, regulated by a system of water gates. This enabled arable land at an altitude to retrieve some of the water from the mountain streams rushing down the side of the Pendine mountain and through the coomb of Narreyroux.
Partially abandoned today, this heritage dug out of the earth, and even rock, now keeps the wandering hiker company. All along the interpretive trails in the Ecrins, such as the Béalet trail, or the path to the Rocher Pointu, there is a proliferation of ferns, bird cherries, dog roses, bellflowers and wood cranesbill, thanks to these ancient man-made waterways. "The trails help to understand how the natural milieu functions in our mountain environment”, explains Valérie Roullier, who is in charge of land management in the municipality of Puy Saint-Vincent. Water and shade are also a welcome source of refreshment when the summer sun is at its hottest.
Contact us
Mairie de Puy Saint-Vincent
Les Alberts
05290 Puy Saint Vincent
(0033) (0)4 92 23 30 66
The interpretive path in Puy Saint-Vincent, along the Béal and Prés canals, should be open to the public by the end of spring 2009.
See the access map
Topic : Landscapes and nature
Published on : 2008/12/23
Tags : interpretive paths irrigation
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