Allier (river)
Allier | |
---|---|
Bridge over the Allier | |
Map of the Allier in France | |
Native name | L'Allier (f) |
Other name(s) | Occitan: Alèir |
Country | France |
Physical characteristics | |
Main source |
Massif Central 1,503 m (4,931 ft) |
River mouth |
Loire 46°57′34″N 3°4′44″E / 46.95944°N 3.07889°ECoordinates: 46°57′34″N 3°4′44″E / 46.95944°N 3.07889°E |
Length | 421 km (262 mi) |
Discharge |
|
Basin features | |
Progression | Loire→ Atlantic Ocean |
Basin size | 14,350 km2 (5,540 sq mi) |
The Allier (Occitan: Alèir) is a river in central France. It is a left tributary of the Loire. Its source is in the Massif Central, in the Lozère department, east of Mende. It flows generally north. It joins the Loire west of the city of Nevers. It is 421 km (262 mi) long, and has a drainage basin of 14,350 km2 (5,540 sq mi).[1]
Departments and towns
The Allier flows through the following departments, and along the following towns:
- Allier: Moulins, Varennes-sur-Allier, Vichy
- Ardèche - the river runs along the border between this department and Lozère
- Cher
- Haute-Loire: Brioude, Langeac
- Lozère: Langogne
- Nièvre
- Puy-de-Dôme: Brassac-les-Mines, Auzat-sur-Allier, Issoire, Cournon-d'Auvergne
Tributaries
The main tributaries of the Allier are:
Ecology
The Allier is one of the rare places in southern Europe where the freshwater grayling (Thymallus thymallus), known in French as ombre des rivières, occurs in a natural habitat.[2]
Grayling like to live in shoals and are sensitive to pollution. In the Allier these fish are more abundant in the stretch between Langogne and Brioude. They are economically important, being appreciated for food and fished for sport.
Gallery
- The bridge Le Guétin.
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Allier River. |
Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Allier River. |
- ↑ Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau (K---0080)".
- ↑ "The grayling zones of rivers and their tributaries" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-01-14.