- Étang de Berre
Infobox_lake
lake_name = Étang de Berre
image_lake = Port Istres 2006.jpg
caption_lake = port atIstres
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = France
coords = coord|43|26|45|N|5|06|50|E|type:waterbody_region:FR_source:nlwiki|display=inline,title
type =
inflow = Arc,Touloubre ,La Cadière-d'Azur , canal de la Durance
outflow = canal de Caronte, canal du Rove
catchment = 1,700 km² (natural)
basin_countries = France
length =
width =
area = 155.3 km²
depth =
max-depth =
volume = 900 mio m3
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = 0.4 m
islands =
cities = The Étang de Berre (in Provençal Occitan: "estanh de Bèrra / mar de Bèrra" according to classical orthography, "estang de Berro / mar de Berro" according to Mistralian orthography) is a body of water adjacent to the Mediterranean to the west ofMarseille .Created by the rise in water levels at the end of the last
ice age , this small inland sea is composed of three parts: the principal body of water, the "Étang de Vaïn" to the east and the "Étang de Bolmon" to the south-east.The Étang de Berre is fed with
fresh water by the rivers Arc,Touloubre andLa Cadière-d'Azur and – since 1966 – by the "canal de laDurance ". Two canals link it to the sea: the "canal de Caronte" leading towardsPort-de-Bouc and the "canal du Rove" which leads towardsL'Estaque . However the underground portion of the latter is blocked by a rock fall.Ten communes border the Étang de Berre:
Istres ,Miramas ,Saint-Chamas ,Berre-l'Étang ,Rognac , Vitrolles,Marignane ,Châteauneuf-les-Martigues ,Martigues andSaint-Mitre-les-Remparts .The ancient name of the Étang de Berre was "Stagnum Mastromela", according to
Pliny the Elder (Book III [34] ).
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