Wild Hawkes
Hydraulic Engineering at Les Ouvrages du Libron
How 19th Century engineers controlled a flooding river
Les Ouvrages du Libron are one of the most unique hydraulic structures that I have seen - designed to deal with a flashy-river that refuses to behave.
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When I went to the Ouvrage du Libron to look around and find out about it, I was fascinated by how engineers from over 150 years ago managed to build a system to allow canal traffic all year with minimal problems. So two questions appeared in my head, how did they do it? And why? It was intriguing how the problems occurred and previous fixes they tried.Â
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Pierre Paul Riquet's solution is unique structure constructed only due to the unusual conditions the river Libron and the Canal du Midi presented.Â
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 A)  To supply Vias and its environs with fresh, clean, drinking water
Qu.1 What is the purpose of the Ouvrages du Libron?
B) To generate hydroelectric power for Vias and its environs
QUIZ
C)Â To mix the waters of the river Libron and the Canal du Midi
D) To keep the waters of the River Libron and Canal du Midi separate