Construction of the Rhine Canal in Alsatian with French subtitles:
The canalization of the Rhine (1929-1959): By shortening the length of the Rhine by 32 km (by the engineer Tulla in the 19th century), the speed of water flow increased, which led to a deepening of the Rhine bed . In this sector navigation has become almost impossible. To overcome this problem, the Alsace canal was built between 1929 and 1959. This lateral canal runs along the Rhine over a length of 52km.
By creating the canal, the aim was to solve the problem of flow speed and water depth to make navigation possible between Strasbourg and Basel. The project was launched by the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine in April 1925.
It was dug on the French side just a few hundred meters from the Rhine. It is approximately 50 kilometers long and stretches from Kembs to Vogelgrun. Along this canal we find several “festoon” hydroelectric power stations such as Marckolsheim, Rhinau, Gerstheim and Strasbourg. The part which passes in front of the commune of Schoenau is part of a festoon.
The port of Basel saw its attendance decline after the first work to rectify the Rhine because navigation there was too dangerous. Since the creation of the canal, navigation has been possible again and the port of Basel is one of the most important on the Rhine.
This project made it possible to facilitate navigation on the Rhine by solving the problem of flow speed as well as the depth of the river.