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44-612: The commune of Le Pecq is located in a loop of the Seine river, 19 km (12 mi) west of Paris , at the foot of the chateau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye . Le Pecq's territory is astride the two banks of the Seine and includes a small island, Corbière. It is highly urbanized except for Corbière island, which is partially protected as a nesting zone for migratory birds. Until after the Second World War, there were swimming baths on

88-409: A basin to store rainwater, which would then be slowly released into the sewer system, preventing overflow. Plans also call for several public swimming areas to be made available by 2025, ending a ban instituted in 1923 due to the polluted water. These efforts have produced mixed results, as E. coli levels have often been found to be far higher than what is safe to swim in, though this could depend on

132-407: A population over 100,000 are in the Seine watershed: Le Havre at the estuary, Rouen in the Seine valley and Reims at the northern limit—with an annual urban growth rate of 0.2 percent. The population density is 201 per square kilometer. Tributaries of the Seine are, from source to mouth: Due to concentrated levels of industry, agriculture and urban populations of Paris and its surroundings,

176-399: Is Le Vésinet – Le Pecq station on Paris RER line A . This station is located in the neighboring commune of Le Vésinet , 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from the town center of Le Pecq. Seine The Seine ( / s eɪ n , s ɛ n / sayn, sen , French: [sɛn] ) is a 777-kilometre-long (483 mi) river in northern France . Its drainage basin is in

220-415: Is 2,143.21 metres (7,032 ft) – 856 metres (2,808 ft) between the two piers. It is also the last bridge to cross the Seine before it empties into the ocean. It is a motorway toll bridge with a footpath and a narrow cycle lane in each direction allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge free of charge, while motorcycling is also toll-free. The bridge was designed by Michel Virlogeux ,

264-585: Is associated with Latin; the Latin word seems to derive from the same root as Latin sequor (I follow) and English sequence , namely Proto-Indo-European *seik - , signifying 'to flow' or 'to pour forth'. On 28 or 29 March 845, an army of Vikings led by a chieftain named Reginherus, which is possibly another name for Ragnar Lothbrok , sailed up the River Seine with siege towers and sacked Paris . On 25 November 885, another Viking expedition led by Rollo

308-574: Is notable for being the town of residence of Alain Gournac: Senator of the Yvelines for the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) since 1995. A. Gournac also occupied the function of Mayor of the town between 1991 and 2013, year in which, following legislature forbidding Senators from also holding the title of Mayor, he was made to resign, leaving his seat to Laurence Bernard, also a member of

352-559: Is only 24 metres (79 ft) above sea level 446 kilometres (277 mi) from its mouth, making it slow flowing and thus easily navigable. The Seine Maritime, 123 kilometres (76 mi) from the English Channel at Le Havre to Rouen, is the only portion of the Seine used by ocean-going craft. The tidal section of the Seine Maritime is followed by a canalized section ( Basse Seine ) with four large multiple locks until

396-640: Is the mouth of the Marne . Upstream from Paris seven locks ensure navigation to Saint Mammès , where the Loing mouth is situated. Through an eighth lock the river Yonne is reached at Montereau-Fault-Yonne. From the mouth of the Yonne, larger ships can continue upstream to Nogent-sur-Seine (48 km [30 mi], 7 locks). From there on, the river is navigable only by small craft to Marcilly-sur-Seine (19 km [12 mi], 4 locks). At Marcilly-sur-Seine

440-582: The Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine , 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre (and Honfleur on the left bank). It is navigable by ocean-going vessels as far as Rouen , 120 kilometres (75 mi) from

484-495: The 1960s marked an upturn in agricultural pollution due to land use changes that had previously scaled with population growth. Heavy industries near Paris and along the Oise River discharged virtually untreated wastewaters from the turn of the 19th century, causing concentrations of toxins in the river that were ignored until the late 1980s. Major French laws to address water quality were passed in 1898, 1964, 1996, and 2006. At

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528-495: The 19th century Canal de la Haute-Seine used to allow vessels to continue all the way to Troyes . This canal has been abandoned since 1957. The Seine's average depth in Paris today is approximately 9.5 meters (31 feet). Until locks were installed to raise the level in the 1800s, the river was much shallower within the city, and consisted of a small channel of continuous flow bordered by sandy banks (depicted in many illustrations of

572-409: The 19th century, which combines street runoff and sewage. The resulting oxygen deficit is principally caused by allochthonous bacteria larger than one micrometre in size. The specific activity of these sewage bacteria is typically three to four times greater than that of the autochthonous (background) bacterial population. Heavy metal concentrations in the Seine are relatively high. The pH level of

616-627: The Battle of Normandy. Some of the Algerian victims of the Paris massacre of 1961 drowned in the Seine after being thrown by French policemen from the Pont Saint-Michel and other locations in Paris. At the 1900 Summer Olympics , the river hosted the rowing , swimming , and water polo events. Twenty-four years later , it hosted the rowing events again at Bassin d'Argenteuil, along

660-523: The French government sought to reduce bacterial levels in the river to those safe for swimming. During the Olympics, daily tests of the water quality were taken to determine if it was safe for swimming; this caused the triathlon to be delayed by a day, before being allowed to proceed on July 31. A few of the triathletes who swam in the river became sick afterwards, though it was not clear if the Seine water

704-491: The Seine as well as its tributaries Yonne, Marne, and Aube. These help in maintaining a constant level for the river through the city, but cannot prevent significant increases in river level during periods of extreme runoff. The dams are Lac d’Orient , Lac des Settons , Lake Der-Chantecoq , and Auzon-Temple and Amance, respectively. A very severe period of high water in January 1910 resulted in extensive flooding throughout

748-405: The Seine at Pont Neuf has been measured to be 8.46. Despite this, the water quality has improved significantly over what several historians at various times in the past called an "open sewer". In 2018, a €1.4 billion ($ 1.55 billion) cleanup programme called the "Swimming Plan" was launched with the aim of making the river safe to use for the 2024 Summer Olympics . The project included constructing

792-533: The Seine beside the Tuileries Garden . Having a length of sixty-six feet and an eight-foot beam Fulton's steamboat attained speeds of three to four miles per hour against the Seine's current. Reaching the Seine was one of the original objectives of Operation Overlord , during the Second World War , in 1944. The Allies' intention was to reach the Seine by 90 days after D-Day . That objective

836-426: The Seine north of Paris. More than a century later, during the 2024 Summer Olympics , the Seine hosted a boat parade with boats for each national delegation during the opening ceremony . The river was also the site of the men's and women's event for marathon swimming , as well as the swimming portion of the triathlon . Although swimming in the Seine had been banned since 1923, a €1.4 billion cleanup effort by

880-543: The Seine-Normandy watershed experiences the highest human impacts of any hydrographic basin in France. Compared to most other large European rivers, the ability of the Seine to dilute urban sewage and farmland runoff is very low. Low oxygen levels, high concentrations of ammonia, nitrites and faecal bacteria, extending from Paris to the estuary, have been issues for over a century. The advent of nitrogenous fertilizers in

924-430: The Seine. By the early 2020s, the number of fish species near Paris had rebounded to 32. Periodically the sewage systems of Paris experience a failure known as sanitary sewer overflow , often in periods of high rainfall. Under these conditions, untreated residential and industrial sewage is discharged into the Seine to prevent backflow . This is due in large part to Paris' "single system" drainage scheme dating from

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968-648: The UMP. The main transportation links in Le Pecq are the N13 which runs on the left bank of the Seine and secondary road D 186 connecting Saint-Germain-en-Laye with Paris which crosses the Seine at the Le Pecq bridge. This bridge was built in 1963. It has of flattened steel arches resting on two central concrete piers. Le Pecq is not served by the Paris Métro, RER, or suburban rail network. The closest station to Le Pecq

1012-415: The beginning of the 20th century, most domestic sewage was used as fertilizer for nearby croplands. As populations grew, the agricultural capacity to absorb those wastewaters was exceeded. Large-scale construction of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) began in 1940 to meet demand; however, by 1970, about 60% of urban sewage was allowed to flow into the river untreated. The resulting oxygen depletion reduced

1056-416: The bridge, ancillary structures and financing was $ 465 million. The bridge proper cost €233 million (US$ 250 million). The cable-stayed design was chosen because it was both cheaper and more resistant to high winds than a suspension bridge . Shortly after opening, the longest cables exhibited excessive vibrations, so several damping systems were quickly retrofitted. The span, 23.6 metres (77 ft) wide,

1100-410: The city of Paris. The Seine again rose to threatening levels in 1924, 1955, 1982, 1999–2000, June 2016, and January 2018. After a first-level flood alert in 2003, about 100,000 works of art were moved out of Paris, the largest relocation of art since World War II . Much of the art in Paris is kept in underground storage rooms that would have been flooded. A 2002 report by the French government stated

1144-489: The city. A notable bridge, which is also the last along the course of the river, is the Pont de Normandie , the ninth longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, which links Le Havre and Honfleur . The Seine rises in the commune of Source-Seine , about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Dijon . The source has been owned by the city of Paris since 1864. A number of closely associated small ditches or depressions provide

1188-468: The earlier rainstorm during the opening ceremony had driven some untreated rainwater back into the Seine. However, the triathlon proceeded the following day, after testing found the water quality to be sufficient for swimming. The name Seine comes from Gaullish Sēquana , from the Celtic Gallo-Roman goddess of the river, as offerings for her were found at the source. Sometimes it

1232-530: The east and Marly-le-Roi and Le Port-Marly to the south. The first mention of Le Pecq came in 704. In that year, the Merovingian king Childebert III granted a charter to Fontenelle Abbey which included territory in Aupec - the modern Le Pecq. On 31 May 1875, a part of Le Pecq was detached and merged with parts of Chatou and Croissy-sur-Seine to create the commune of Le Vésinet . The town in Le Pecq

1276-403: The general studies having been led by Bernard Raspaud from Bouygues . The works management was shared between G. Barlet and P. Jacquet. The architects were François Doyelle and Charles Lavigne. Construction by Bouygues , Campenon Bernard , Dumez , Monberg & Thorsen , Quillery , Sogea and Spie Batignolles began in 1988 and lasted seven years. The bridge opened on 20 January 1995. At

1320-405: The island. Le Pecq was famous for two other establishments related to water: a spa exploiting springs on St-Germain hill and a natural water swimming pool which was 100 metres long with sand beaches. It borders the communes of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Mareil-Marly in the west, Montesson and Le Mesnil-le-Roi (Carrières-sous-Bois district) to the north, Croissy-sur-Seine and Le Vésinet in

1364-617: The mouth of the Oise at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (170 km [110 mi]). Smaller locks at Bougival and at Suresnes lift the vessels to the level of the river in Paris, where the junction with the Canal Saint-Martin is located. The distance from the mouth of the Oise is 72 km (45 mi). The Haute Seine , from Paris to Montereau-Fault-Yonne , is 98 km (61 mi) long and has 8 locks. At Charenton-le-Pont

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1408-493: The number of fish species to three. Measures taken in the early 2000s due to the Water Framework Directive led to significant reductions of organic carbon, phosphorus and ammonium, which in turn decreased the occurrence and severity of phytoplankton blooms. Continued WWTP construction and new treatment methods improved environmental conditions. In 2009, it was announced that Atlantic salmon had returned to

1452-521: The original soundtrack for the movie ' A Monster in Paris ' The Seine features prominently in ABBA 's 1980 song, Our Last Summer , written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus . Pont de Normandie The Pont de Normandie (English: Normandy Bridge ) is a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the river Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur in Normandy , northern France. Its total length

1496-479: The period). Today the depth is tightly controlled and the entire width of the river between the built-up banks on either side is normally filled with water. The average flow of the river is very low, only a few cubic metres per second, but much higher flows are possible during periods of heavy runoff. Dredging in the 1960s mostly eliminated tidal bores on the lower river, known in French as "le mascaret." Four large storage reservoirs have been built since 1950 on

1540-483: The river passes through the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande , a French regional nature park . The Seine is dredged and ocean-going vessels can dock at Rouen , 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the sea. Commercial craft (barges and push-tows) can use the river beginning at Marcilly-sur-Seine , 516 kilometres (321 mi) to its mouth. At Paris, there are 37 bridges. The river

1584-435: The river was rising. The Deputy Mayor of Paris Colombe Brossel warned that the heavy rain was caused by climate change . He added that "We have to understand that climatic change is not a word, it's a reality." The basin area, including a part of Belgium, is 78,910 square kilometres (30,470 sq mi), 2 percent of which is forest and 78 percent cultivated land. In addition to Paris, three other cities with

1628-546: The sea. Over 60 percent of its length, as far as Burgundy , is negotiable by large barges and most tour boats, and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating; excursion boats offer sightseeing tours of the river banks in the capital city, Paris. There are 37 bridges in Paris across the Seine (the most famous of which are the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont Neuf ) and dozens more outside

1672-464: The season. At the same time, the fish population in the river has surged, from just two species to over 30. To demonstrate the river's improved cleanliness, Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron both pledged to take a swim in the waters, and Hidalgo did so on July 17, 2024. During the Summer Olympics, the date of the triathlon was postponed due to water quality issues, as

1716-506: The source waters, with an artificial grotto laid out to highlight and contain a deemed main source. The grotto includes a statue of a nymph, a dog, and a dragon. On the same site are the buried remains of a Gallo-Roman temple . Small statues of the dea Sequana "Seine goddess" and other ex-votos found at the same place are now exhibited in the Dijon archaeological museum. The Seine can artificially be divided into five parts: Below Rouen,

1760-597: The time it was both the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world , and also had a record distance between piers for a cable-stayed bridge. It was more than 250 metres (820 ft) longer between piers than the previous record-holder. This record was lost in 1999 to the Tatara Bridge in Japan. Its record for length for a cable-stayed bridge was lost in 2004 to the 2883 meters of the Rio-Antirrio . The total cost of

1804-417: The worst-case Seine flood scenario would cost 10 billion euros and cut telephone service for a million Parisians, leaving 200,000 without electricity and 100,000 without gas. In January 2018 the Seine again flooded, reaching a flood level of 5.84 metres (19 ft 2 in) on 29 January. An official warning was issued on 24 January that heavy rainfall was likely to cause the river to flood. By 27 January,

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1848-574: Was met. An anticipated assault crossing of the river never materialized as German resistance in France crumbled by early September 1944. However, the First Canadian Army did encounter resistance immediately west of the Seine and fighting occurred in the Forêt de la Londe as Allied troops attempted to cut off the escape across the river of parts of the German 7th Army in the closing phases of

1892-631: Was sent up the River Seine to attack Paris again . In March 1314, King Philip IV of France had Jacques de Molay , last Grand Master of the Knights Templar , burned on a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in front of Notre Dame de Paris . After the burning of Joan of Arc in 1431, her ashes were thrown into the Seine from the medieval stone Mathilde Bridge at Rouen , though unsupported counter-claims persist. On 9 August 1803 Robert Fulton , American painter and marine engineer, made his first successful test of his steamboat in

1936-632: Was the cause. In 1991 (and 2024), UNESCO added the banks of the Seine in Paris—the Rive Gauche and Rive Droite —to its list of World Heritage Sites in Europe . During the 19th and the 20th centuries in particular the Seine inspired many artists, including: A song "La Seine" by Flavien Monod and Guy Lafarge was written in 1948. Josephine Baker also recorded a song called "La Seine" An additional song entitled "La Seine", by Vanessa Paradis featuring Matthieu Chedid , formed part of

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