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The Cher channeled measures 60 km length and connects the cities of Noyers-sur-Cher (Loir-et-Cher) and Saint-Avertin (Indre-and-Loire). It includes 16 locked stoppings. The stoppings are established across the bed of the river in order to raise the level of water. Each site consists of a mobile stopping (from 40 to 49 m length), of a fixed outfall for the superabundant water run-off (from 20 to 45 m length), of a lock in masonry (hopper of 5,20 m X 35 m), of a lock house including two residences (lockkeeper and weir-keeper) and of appendices various (stores with "needles" in particular). The mobile stoppings are built on a built foundation raft on which are fixed executives out of cast iron called "fermettes". Each winter, from October at April approximately, this structure is lying at the river bed in order to ensure a continuous passage during large water. When the stopping is assembled, the "fermettes" are used as support with vertical pieces of wood (fir tree) called "needles" (2,50 m in height on 7 cm broad) which are plated by the current upstream work. One regulates very simply the flow of water while removing or by adding needles. The stoppings are placed downstream from the locks so that the current is insensitive with the entry of those.