Écluses du Collet et chenal

Situated at the crossroads of the marsh and the ocean, the Collet locks (2004), the Millac sluice gate (1975) and the Collet sluice gate regulate rainwater in the Marais Breton Vendéen according to the needs of farmers and, above all, salt workers, and if necessary evacuate water from the marsh.

Marais Breton Vendéen: water regulation and climatic hazards

To prevent silting up, flooding, overflowing and drought in summer, the SAH (Syndicat d'Aménagement Hydraulique du Sud Loire) manages the water between :


the Loire,
the Marais Breton Vendéen and
the Atlantic Ocean


towards the Port du Collet. 51 communes are involved in water management. It is of vital importance for the conservation of animal and plant species and the preservation of the environment as a whole. Many natural balances operate in this fragile area, which has been classified Natura 2000.





The role of sluices

The sluices have a number of roles: they regulate salt water to feed the marshes (opening allowing ocean water to be introduced at high tide), drain off rainwater at the end of winter to allow the marshes to be cleaned and cleared at low tide, replenish the marshes with fresh water in certain places...