Why has the Buttes-Chaumont lake disappeared in recent days?

For many months now, it has no longer been possible to access the pretty Temple de la Sybille, which overlooks the Buttes-Chaumont park from the top of its rock, or the Eiffel footbridge, which overlooks the lake; all these initiatives are part of the park's major renovation works. In fact, this beautiful, country-like green space was built on a former gypsum quarry, and since 1867 - the date of its inauguration at the Paris Universal Exhibition - it has welcomed millions of visitors every year for over 150 years.

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And yet, in recent years, the park has come under increasing scrutiny: since September 2023, the largest-ever renovation works within the park have been launched, at a cost of 6 million euros (not exhaustive). So, from the end of September 2023, the work began with the draining of the Buttes-Chaumont lake: the first time the lake has been emptied in 30 years (according to Pépites du 19e)!

On September 25, 26 and 27, you may have spotted fishermen wielding large nets in the lake, sorting and cleaning out the 200 or so pike, carp, gudgeon and other fish that used to live peacefully in the Buttes. These finned residents were then released into various aquatic environments in Paris and its inner suburbs, in collaboration with the local Federation for Fishing and Protection of the Aquatic Environment: the Canal de l'Ourcq, the lakes of the Bois de Boulogne and Bois Vincennes, as well as the Bercy and Montsouris parks !

As for the rest of the work, until December 2023, all the silt that has accumulated at the bottom of the lake over the last thirty years will have to be removed: in total, they will have to remove more than 1,800 m3 of silt! Then, in January 2024, investigations will be carried out to determine the lake's structure, improve the separating walls and carry out any necessary repairs. The lake is due to be reopened at the end of March 2024, so we'll have to wait until April 2024 to see the fish and the pretty reflections of the Buttes-Chaumont lake again!