Barrage de l'Escale

About

The dam of l'Escale is located on the course of the Durance in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence between the municipalities of L'Escale on the left bank and Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban on the right bank.

The dam: Built between 1959 and 1962, the dam of l'Escale is of a dam type weight with embankment approaches. It consists of a concrete part, 30 m high that supports the bridge, and a 610 m long dike for a total length of 760 m. It serves as a water intake to supply the part of the EDF channel that leads to the Oraison plant, as well as the Manosque canal. The concrete dam is extended to the east (left bank of the Durance) by a dam of 610 m. A millennial flood of Durance up to a flow rate of 4,500 m3/s at L-Escale, five 18 m wide pertuis are arranged to allow passage to flood waters. The dam rests on the pudingue of the Valensole plateau, under the bed of the Durance and some layers of marnes.

Bridge: The dam is built 60 m upstream of the Trébaste Bridge, dating from 1837. The bridge overlooking the dam allows you to cross the Durance. Borrowed by the RN 85, it links the communes of L'Escale and Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban...