he LOIRE is the last big wild river in Europe.
A lot of barriers are trying to quieten down his
course.
In the whole region, from Tours to Angers for
example, on a distance of about hundred
kilometers, has been built a big slope,
which allows to controll the level of the
river and not to let him overflow during the
floods of the end of winter.


 
  		The Loire just near Saumur
The Loire, from the château, Saumur west t is very useful and when the level
is very high, some people are in charge of
verifying, day and night, the strength of the
slope in order to be able to take immediately
some measures.
 
 
 
The Loire from the château, Saumur east
 
 		 A traditional ship
 
 
traditional ships and Cessart bridge
 
 		 t the end of spring, there is the LOIRE's fair in SAUMUR.
The gabares, the traditional ships on the Loire
are sailing again.
 
 
he slope has been built first in year 1200, on
about 40 km.
Then it was many times strengthened and renovated.
Sometimes it happened that the slope was not strong
enough and there were important floods in year 1856
and 1910.
On these photos, the Loire was at a high level in
Saumur in 1993.
 
 
 
The loire is overflooding
 
 

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