Grauzou aqueduct

During the 19th century, issues related to water shortages were already a topical concern. This is how, as early as 1862, a project for the implementation of an irrigation canal from the Dourdou banks took shape. The man behind this project was Hippolyte Barascud. This controversial 9 km irrigation canal plan came into existence with the initial works beginning around 1865. The canal stretched from Montlaur to the Montet farm (south of Vabres l’Abbaye). This structure built nearby the river was to suffer from the vagaries of the stream. The floods of the Dourdou caused the silting-up of the canal and its deterioration. In the end, this canal was helpful for a little over a century. The costs and the time required to keep it operational outweighed its convenience.