Écluse 9 - Clos du May - Canal Latéral à la Loire - near Garnat-sur-Engièvre - France - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

This is lock number 9 on the Canal Latéral à la Loire and is known as Clos du May. It is situated a kilometre upstream (south) of Garnat-sur-Engièvre.

The Canal Latéral à la Loire was built between 1827 and 1838 and connects the Canal de Briare at Briare at its northern end to the Canal du Centre at Digoin at its southern end.

The locks are all built to the Freycinet standard of 38.5m x 5.2m and are all operated by lock keepers other than 16bis and 16ter at Decize which are automatic and operated by lock users.

The canal is 196km in length and only has 40 locks. This is because it follows the Loire valley which has a relatively small gradient.

It was built to replace the River Loire which used to provide the link between the Canal de Biriare and Canal du Centre. Navigation of the Loire was always problematic because of flooding in the winter and low water in the summer months.

Aqueducts were built to cross the River Allier at Le Guétin and the River Loire at Digoin. Due to the length required the Briare aqueduct wasn't built to cross the River Loire River at Briare until 1896.

There are four arms: Embranchement de Chaâtillon, Embranchement de St-Thibault, Embranchement de Givry and Embranchement de de Nevers. There is also a link to Decize port and the River Loire at Decize. Apart from the locks on the Embranchement de Givry the locks on the arms are shorter at 30.4 metres.

Waterway Name: Canal Latéral à la Loire Connected Points: The Canal Latéral à la Loire connects Briare at its northern end to Digoin at the southern end. Together with the Canal de Briare, which it meets at Briare, and the Canal du Centre, which it meets at Digoin, it forns a through route from the Seine to the Saône. Type: Lock Date Opened: 01/01/1838 Elevation Difference (meters): 3.00 Site Status: Operational Web Site: [Web Link] Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed

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