The Canal de la Durance crosses the territory of the Haute-Provence Geopark and marks man’s imprint on a valley that has always been a thoroughfare between the Alps and Provence.
In the Middle Ages, the Durance was the “third scourge of Provence”, after the Parlement and the Mistral! Since its development in the 1960s, the river has calmed down and now contributes to the development of agriculture, the economy and tourism in a vast area. Its waters, together with those of the Verdon, supply drinking water to Provence’s main cities, including Marseille and Aix, and make a major contribution to the country’s hydroelectric production.
The Canal de la Durance is a network of canals, dams and power stations from Serre-Ponçon – Europe’s largest artificial lake – to the Etang de Berre. It includes the Curbans canal, the Sisteron canal and the Oraison canal. A special feature is the “Galerie des Mées”, a 3 km-long canal that runs through the village, through the mountains and around the Pénitents.
