Thionville. Do you know the navigable depth of the Moselle?

You may have already asked yourself the question: how deep is the Moselle at Thionville? A question that may seem silly, but it doesn't matter. When a boat finds itself stuck in the middle of the river, it takes on its full meaning. This is precisely what happened on July 10th. A long barge got stuck in the middle of the Moselle , near the city center of Thionville. As a result of a bad trajectory: the boat had gone around the buoy on the right instead of the left. As a result, there wasn't enough depth to continue maneuvering and the boat remained stationary.

Fortunately, this type of incident remains exceptional. "It's not common," reassures Gaëlle Rimelen, in charge of communications for Voies Navigables de France (VNF). Every year, nearly 5,000 barges travel on the Moselle and "everyone knows the navigation rules," she adds. Because, just like on the road, there is a corridor to follow: this is what we call the channel, the central and deepest part of the river. The banks, however, are much less passable.

Likewise, the depth of the Moselle is regulated to ensure safe navigation. "We're talking about anchorage," she explains. A minimum depth threshold is required for boats to move forward without hindrance. Each dam is also equipped with a lock that maintains a stable water level. As for flow, there's no need to worry either, especially in Thionville. "There are plenty of tributaries that feed the Moselle," explains Gaëlle Rimelen. This makes the risk of drying up almost zero, even during dry periods. We're a long way from the Amazon, of course, but the Moselle is a sure thing. So to return to our initial question... What is the appropriate depth for navigation in Thionville? Place your bets, you have ten seconds.

Gaëlle Rimelen's response: "3 meters." For her part, the width of the navigable channel is at least 40 meters.