The 2.8 mile long Canal Saint-Martin joins up with the Basin de la Villette lake and the Port de l'Arsenal on the Seine. It has two parts, one open and the other covered. It was originally designed for supplying the Paris population with drinking water but is now used exclusively for tourist boats. The working population, who previously lived alongside the canal, has made way for a young, fashionable, family populationThe canal is a popular location for walks and picnics along the Quai de Valmy and the Quai de Jemmapes.