Écluse Notre-Dame-de-la-Garenne

The Écluse Notre-Dame-de-la-Garenne is a major lock facility on the Seine featuring four chambers, a hydroelectric power station, and a dam spanning roughly 200 meters. The complex allows boats to pass through changes in water level while generating electricity from the river flow.

Construction of the lock took place between 1879 and 1889 under engineer Émile Nouguier's direction, marking a milestone in applying metal and concrete technologies to the Seine. The project demonstrated how 19th-century engineers transformed rivers for both navigation and power production.

The lock represents an important part of French industrial heritage along the Seine, showing how communities adapted the river for commerce and power generation. Artists have documented the structure because of its striking combination of engineering and riverside presence.

The lock operates continuously and is staffed to manage boat traffic through the chambers throughout the day. Visitors can watch the system in action from the riverside paths, which offer good vantage points to see how vessels move through the waterway.

Since 2008, a fish ladder has been installed to allow salmon and eels to bypass the barriers and swim upstream through the system. This addition reflects how contemporary engineers adapt infrastructure to protect river ecosystems.