Dry Canals: Paris on purpose, Venice by low tides
December 31, 2015
Two European cities are facing dry seasons in their canals, with record low tides exposing long-unseen areas of Venice’s waterways, and Paris draining its iconic Canal Saint-Martin for cleaning and repairs. In Venice, abnormal tides this year, combined with a so-far dry winter, have left water levels about 70cm (more than 2 feet) below normal. As a result, routes for the city’s vaporetti, or water buses, have been curtailed because they are unable to navigate in some of the smaller canals.