Montech water slope

Montech water slope on Canal du Midi opened in 1974 is the first of its kind in the world. It consist of concrete water channel 6 metres wide and 539 metres long with a gradient of 3 per cent. Water is held back at the upper end by a drop gate. A boat entering at the bottom of the channel is pushed up together with the wedge of water on which it floats by a metal shield lowered behind it and propelled up by two converted railway engines on rubber wheels. At the top the gate falls and water levels equalise.