Much unlike the Niagara Falls, the canal in Paris is actually drained on a somewhat regular basis. City officials decided to properly drain the canals every 10-15 years. After all, with it being in such a populated area, it is bound to become filled with debris that blocks the proper flow.
In fact, when they last drained it in 2001, they pulled out more than 40 tons of garbage – that’s over 80,000 pounds of trash! But it wasn’t just your typical cups and bottles and old furniture, etc. Authorities found some pretty questionable stuff during the operation.
Locals and tourists also head to the canals for unique events that are unlike anything that can be experienced elsewhere. Take for instance the Paris-Plages, that take place every summer.
Each July, artificial sand, beach chairs and other goodies are brought in to line the sides of the canal, creating little “beaches” for everyone to enjoy. The pop-up beaches even include tiki bars and water sports!
The area as a whole has become so popular that it can be seen in multiple shows and movies that stretch across multiple decades. From Jean Vigo’s 1934 film, L’Atalante, to the more recent, Amélie, in 2001. Musicians like the Courteneers have also written about it within their songs.
Artist Alfred Sisley has painted it in a few of his works, including his 1870 painting, View of the Canal Saint-Martin. If lawmakers succeed in their wishes to clean up the canals, it is possible we may see it in more productions in the future, as well.
Of course, even though they were bound to find a lot of trash that had been dumped over the past decade or so, they were also expecting to find some less…common stuff, too. So, what did the authorities uncover at the bottom of the Canal Saint-Martin?
Well, this time alone, they found more than 100 bicycles, as well as some motor scooters, a sewing mannequin and some World War I shot gun shells. Even more disturbing perhaps, they found a wheelchair, which was hopefully empty when it went into the water.
Officials knew that draining the canals wouldn’t be an easy process. Luckily, engineers were able to come up with an effective method that has worked well for the city for several decades.
To make everything easier and to first prepare, they set up a dam. Doing this would help with their next step: diverting over three million tons of water into the Seine.