The Touques separates Deauville from Trouville and flows into the English Channel. In 1843, two piers in rot-proof beech and Norwegian fir were built to secure the channel leading to the port. The sailors and the inhabitants of Trouville provided the necessary funds. The channel, 164 ft (50 m) wide, was dug, ridden of sand, and opened in 1849. The piers were extended to prevent silting from returning. The western one is 1,804 ft (550 m) and the eastern one 718 ft (219 m).