Canal du Midi closed to boats until March due to low water levels

The Canal du Midi in south-west France will be closed to boats until March 2026 due to low water levels caused by “exceptional drought.” 

“The high temperatures recorded at the start of summer 2025, followed by an unusually long period of drought at the start of autumn, led to a sharp drop in the water level of the River Aude and all the waterways in the region, which are the main sources of water for the Canal du Midi (85%),” stated Voies navigables de France (VNF), the public institution responsible for managing France’s rivers.

The closure affects all boat traffic, however some may be allowed to pass in exceptional circumstances.

The decision is intended to ensure that essential uses of the water from the Canal du Midi can be maintained, in particular the supply of drinking water to local populations and the preservation of aquatic life, continues the VNF statement.

The canal, which stretches from Toulouse to the Étang de Thau, closed on November 3 (two months earlier than usual) as the VNF began reducing the volume of water supplied from reservoirs.

These reservoirs have been used throughout the summer drought and early autumn, and are now reduced to 10% of their storage capacity, compared to 38% this time last year. As a result the VNF is unable to maintain the minimum water level of 1.40m.

The closure marks the “start of the low boating season and the end of the school holidays, which should help to limit the economic impact of this measure on boating professionals,” stated the VNF. 

The canal also extended its annual closure in 2023 - boats were not permitted to use the waterway after November 6 due to a lack of rainfall, and the canal did not reopen until March 1, 2024.

Annual maintenance work

The Canal du Midi typically closes for the first two months of the year during la période de chômage hivernal (the winter unemployment period). 

Annual maintenance work on the canal to repair gates along the 65 locks and cut down infected plane trees will begin on January 5, 2026 and will continue until the reopening in March. 

An increasing number of trees along the banks of the canal require felling following infection by the plane tree disease colour canker (chancre coloré).

There is no treatment for the disease - once an infected tree is identified it requires felling, as do all those within a 35-metre radius as a precautionary measure.

The canal received UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1996, ensuring protection for the surrounding architecture and landscapes. More than 19,000 trees have already been replanted to replace those being cut down.