Levee Levee A levee (), dike, dyke, embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels. It is usually earthen and often parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlines. Speakers of American English (notably in the Midwest and Deep South), use the word "levee", from the French word "levée" (from the feminine past participle of the French verb "lever", "to raise"). It originated in New Orleans a few years after the city's founding in 1718 and was later adopted by English speakers. The
Sortedam Dossering of St. Jørgen's Lake, the lake furthest to the south, is called "Svineryggen" ('The Rack of Pork'). Sortedam Lake is first mentioned in 1619 in the form "Sorte dam" but it is unclear if "dam" (pond) at this stage referred to a small lake or a dam. The word "Dossering" is derived from the French word "Dos", meaning 'back', and refers to a path or road running on top of an embankment. The Dossering was originally a small path. It later belonged to the Water Authority and was closed to the public by a locked gate at each end. Residents