Ardèche (river)
| Ardèche | |
|---|---|
 The Pont d'Arc over the Ardèche River. | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | France |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| - location | Massif Central |
| - coordinates | 44°42′00″N 4°02′41″E / 44.7°N 4.04473°E |
| Mouth | |
| - location | Rhône |
| - coordinates | 44°15′52″N 4°38′53″E / 44.26444°N 4.64806°E |
| Length | 125 km (78 mi) |
| Basin size | 2,430 km2 (940 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 65 m3/s (2,300 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Rhône→ Mediterranean Sea |
The Ardèche (Occitan: Ardecha) is a 125-kilometre (78 mi) long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the River Rhône. The river gives its name to the French department of Ardèche.
Geography[change | change source]
The Ardèche river has a length of 125 km (78 mi) and a drainage basin with an area of approximately 2,376 km2 (917 sq mi).[1]
Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 64.8 cubic metres per second at Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche in the Gard department.[2]
Course[change | change source]
The Ardèche river starts in the Massif Central, within the Parc naturel régional des Monts d'Ardèche ("Regional nature park Mountains of Ardèche"), in the commune of Astet (Ardèche department), at an elevation of about 1,430 m (4,692 ft).[3]
It then flows roughly to the southwest and, after the towns of Aubenas and Ruoms, it gets into its famous gorge (or canyon) below Vallon-Pont-d’Arc.
The valley of the Ardèche is very scenic, in particular a 30-kilometre (19 mi) section known as the Ardèche Gorges (or the Canyon of Ardèche). The walls of the river here are limestone cliffs up to 300 metres (980 ft) high. A kayak and camping trip down the gorge is not technically difficult and is very popular in the summer. The most famous feature is a natural 60-metre (200 ft) stone arch across the river known as the Pont d'Arc.
Finally, the river flows into the Rhône river, on the right side, near the commune Pont-Saint-Esprit, Gard department.[4]
Communes[change | change source]
The Ardèche passes through the following regions, departments and communes:[1]
- Ardèche :
- Astet
- Mayres
- Barnas
- Thueyts
- Pont-de-Labeaume
- Fabras
- Lalevade-d'Ardèche
- Vals-les-Bains
- Labégude
- Ucel
- Aubenas
- Saint-Privat
- Saint-Didier-sous-Aubenas
- Saint-Étienne-de-Fontbellon
- Vogüé
- Lanas
- Saint-Maurice-d'Ardèche
- Balazuc
- Chauzon
- Pradons
- Ruoms
- Labeaume
- Saint-Alban-Auriolles
- Sampzon
- Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
- Salavas
- Labastide-de-Virac
- Saint-Remèze
- Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche
- Saint-Just
Main tributaries[change | change source]
The main tributaries of the Ardeche river are:[1]
|
Left tributaries:
|
|
Right tributaries:
|
Gallery[change | change source]
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Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "L'Ardèche (V50-0400)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ↑ "L'Ardèche à Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche [Sauze-Saint-Martin]" (in French). Banque Hydro. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ↑ "Source de l'Ardèche" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ↑ "Confluence de l'Ardèche" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
Other websites[change | change source]
