| Canal du Nivernais | |
|---|---|
 Boats moored on the last pound of the Canal du Nivernais (a section in the river Yonne) in Auxerre | |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 174 km |
| Maximum boat length | 30.15 m (98.9 ft) |
| Maximum boat beam | 5.10 m (16.7 ft) |
| Locks | 112 |
| Maximum height above sea level | 262 m (860 ft) |
| History | |
| Current owner | Voies Navigables de France |
| Construction began | 1784 |
| Date completed | 1841 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Saint-Léger-des-Vignes |
| End point | Auxerre |
| Connects to | Loire, Canal latéral à la Loire, Yonne, |
The Canal du Nivernais links the Loire with the Seine, following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction. It first climbs northeast and north to cross the Morvan watershed, then roughly follows the course of the Yonne. Beginning on the Loire in the village of Saint-Léger-des-Vignes, it reaches its half-way point at the town of Clamecy and finishes at Auxerre on the Yonne.
The canal is 174 km (108 mi) long and has 112 locks. It is fed at its summit at Port Brûlé by a feeder canal from the Lac de Pannecière reservoir, including an elegant aqueduct at Montreuillon. In its northerly course it is regularly fed by the Yonne and on the southern slope by the Aron. The summit level pound also comprises three tunnels. Although the feeder canal arrives at Port Brûlé, the top of the canal is generally considered to be at Baye at the southern end of the tunnels.