Canal Saint-Denis

Canal Saint-Denis
Map of rivers and canals in and around Paris. The Canal Saint Denis is marked in the inset.
Specifications
Length	6.6 km (4.1 mi)
Maximum boat beam	8 metres (26 ft)
Maximum boat draft	2.6 metres (8.5 ft)
Minimum boat air draft	4.4 metres (14 ft)
Locks	7 (originally 12)
History
Date approved	1802
Date completed	1821
Geography
Start point	Bassin de la Villette
Connects to	Canal de l'Ourcq

The Canal Saint-Denis is a canal in Paris, France that is 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) in length.^[1] The canal connects the Canal de l'Ourcq, at a point north-northwest of the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement, with the suburban municipalities of Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. There are seven locks along the canal's route, and, near Saint-Denis, the canal discharges into the Seine.^[1]

In 1802 Napoléon Bonaparte issued a decree for the construction of the canal to both expedite shipping and reduce the number of ships and barges sailing up and down the Seine through the center of Paris.^[1] Contracts to build and operate the canals in the Île-de-France were granted to private banking firms. These contracts required the city of Paris to purchase land, and the merchant-bankers who won the contracts, Roman Vassal, Lafitte, André, and Cottier, were expected to construct the waterways.^[2] As compensation for their large outlays, the bankers were permitted to collect tolls on the canal for a term of ninety-nine years.^[2] The canal was completed in 1821.

The canal is part of the Réseau des Canaux Parisiens (Parisian Canal Network), a public-works authority operated by the city. The other components of the network are the Canal de l'Ourcq, the Bassin de la Villette, the Canal Saint-Martin, and the Bassin de l'Arsenal.^[1] Together, these canals and basins extend over a distance of 121 kilometres (75 mi).