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The Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha) is a long
The Ardèche flows through the following
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...
in south-central France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, a right-bank tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the River Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
. Its source is in the Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit
Pont-Saint-Esprit (, literally "Holy Spirit Bridge"; oc, Lo Pònt Sant Esperit) is a commune in the Gard département in southern France. It is situated on the river Rhône and is the site of a historical crossing, hence its name. The Ardèche f ...
, north-west of Orange. The river gives its name to the French department of Ardèche
Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...
cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...
s up to high. A kayak
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word '' qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each s ...
and camping trip down the gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...
is not technically difficult and is very popular in the summer. The most famous feature is a natural stone arch spanning the river known as the Pont d'Arc (arch bridge).
Geography
The source of the river lies at above sea level in theVivarais
Vivarais (; oc, Vivarés; la, Vivariensis provincia{{cite web , url=http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblatv.html , title = ORBIS LATINUS - Letter V) is a traditional region in the south-east of France, covering the ''département'' of ...
, near the Col de la Chavade, in the forest of Mazan in the commune of Astet. After the towns of Aubenas
Aubenas (; oc, Aubenàs) is a commune in the southern part of the Ardèche department in Southern France. It is the seat of several government offices. The mountainous and rugged countryside is popular for vacation homes. The river Ardèche fl ...
and Ruoms
Ruoms () is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ardèche department
The following is a list of the 335 communes of the Ardèche department of France.
The communes cooperate in th ...
, it collects the Chassezac
The Chassezac (; oc, Chassesac) is an long river in the Lozère, Gard and Ardèche departments in southern France. It is a right tributary of the Ardèche. Its source is in the commune of Saint-Frézal-d'Albuges, northeast of Les Chazeaux, t ...
and the Beaume and plunges into its famous gorge below Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc (; oc, Valon) is a commune in the Ardèche department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southern France.
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its po ...
. It flows into the Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
at Pont-Saint-Esprit
Pont-Saint-Esprit (, literally "Holy Spirit Bridge"; oc, Lo Pònt Sant Esperit) is a commune in the Gard département in southern France. It is situated on the river Rhône and is the site of a historical crossing, hence its name. The Ardèche f ...
.
Departments and communes
The Ardèche flows through the following departments
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
and communes:
*Department of Ardèche
Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Astet (source)
** Mayres (Le Lignon joins)
** Barnas
** Thueyts
** Pont-de-Labeaume (La Fontolliere joins)
** Lalevade-d'Ardeche (right bank)
**
Vals-les-Bains
Vals-les-Bains (; oc, Vals) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ardèche department
The following is a list of the 335 communes of the Ardèche department of France.
The comm ...
(left bank) (La Volane joins)
** Labégude (right bank)
** Ucel (left bank)
** Saint-Privat (left bank) (Le Luol joins)
**Aubenas
Aubenas (; oc, Aubenàs) is a commune in the southern part of the Ardèche department in Southern France. It is the seat of several government offices. The mountainous and rugged countryside is popular for vacation homes. The river Ardèche fl ...
(right bank)
** Saint-Didier-sous-Aubenas
**Saint-Étienne-de-Fontbellon
Saint-Étienne-de-Fontbellon (; oc, Sant Estève de Fontbelon) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ardèche department
The following is a list of the 335 communes of the Ardèch ...
(right bank)
** Vogüé
** Lanas (right bank)
** Saint-Maurice-d'Ardeche (left bank) (L'Auzon joins)
**Balazuc
Balazuc (; oc, Balasuc) is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France.
The village has been labelled a "Village of Character" by the Departmental Committee of Tourism. It is a member of Les Plus ...
** Chauzon (right bank)
** Pradons (left bank)
**Ruoms
Ruoms () is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ardèche department
The following is a list of the 335 communes of the Ardèche department of France.
The communes cooperate in th ...
(left bank)
** Labeaume (right bank) (La Ligne joins)
**Saint-Alban-Auriolles
Saint-Alban-Auriolles (; oc, Sant Auban e Auriòlas) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.
Geography
The river Chassezac flows into the Ardèche in the commune.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Ardèche departme ...
(right bank) (La Beaume and La Cassezac joins)
**Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc (; oc, Valon) is a commune in the Ardèche department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southern France.
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its po ...
(left bank) (L'Ibie joins)
** Salavas (right bank)
** Labastide-de-Virac (right bank)
** Saint-Remèze (left bank) (Gorges de l'Ardeche)
** Bidon (left bank)
** Saint-Martin-d'Ardeche (left bank)
** Saint-Just-d'Ardèche (left bank)
*Department of Gard
Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Le Garn
Le Garn (; oc, Lo Garn) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gard department
* Côtes du Vivarais AOC
Côtes du Vivarais is a wine-growing AOC in the northwestern extreme of the s ...
(right bank)
**Aiguèze
Aiguèze (; oc, Aiguesa) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. In 2016, it had a population of 217. Since 2005, Aiguèze has been a member of ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' ("The most beautiful v ...
(right bank)
** Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas
**Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson
Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson (; oc, Sent Paulet de Caisson) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gard department
This is a list of the 351 communes of the Gard department of France.
The ...
**Pont-Saint-Esprit
Pont-Saint-Esprit (, literally "Holy Spirit Bridge"; oc, Lo Pònt Sant Esperit) is a commune in the Gard département in southern France. It is situated on the river Rhône and is the site of a historical crossing, hence its name. The Ardèche f ...
(joins the Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
)
Tributaries
The most importanttributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drain ...
and subtributaries to the Ardèche include:
Hydrology
The river has an average discharge of but experiences severe floods, called "coups de l'Ardèche" (Blows of the Ardèche), in spring and autumn and periods of very low water in summer. During flood events in 1827, 1890, and 1924, it reached and the water level rose to a record in the gorge. Despite the Ardèche's short length, the flow of the river at is relatively high—higher than the Gardon at , theCèze
The Cèze (; oc, Céser) is a karstic French river, a right tributary of the Rhône. It runs through the departments of Lozère and Gard in the Occitanie region. It is long, and its basin area is . Its source is in the Cévennes mountains ...
(22 m3/s), the Hérault
Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.Agout (55 m3/s)—major rivers south of the
The inter-annual average flow of the Ardèche was observed and calculated over a period of 26 years at Saint-Martin d'Ardèche. It amounted to for a surface basin of —i.e. the vast majority of its watershed of . The river has seasonal fluctuations: a typical flow around the Cevennes, with high water in autumn and winter being double the normal, brings the average monthly flow at the first peak of in October then, after falling to in December, a new peak occurs from in January–March (with a maximum in January). A rapid decline in flow rate follows ending in a dry period in July–August resulting in a decrease of the average monthly rate to the level of in July. (See bar chart below.)
The VCN3 (minimum flow) can drop to in a dry year.
Floods can be extremely important (usually following storms in the Cevennes). The Qix 2 and Qix 5 are respectively which is high. QIX 10 is while QIX 20 and QIX 50 respectively rise to .
The maximum instantaneous flow recorded in Saint-Martin d'Ardèche has been (two-thirds of the average flow of the Danube), while the maximum recorded daily rate was .
The
Prefecture of Ardèche
Characteristic Flows - The Ardèche at Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche
Banque Hydro - Station V5064010 - The Ardèche at Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche (Sauze St. Martin) - (option Synthèse)
(Enter the Station Number)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardeche (River) Tourism in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Rivers of France Rivers of Ardèche Rivers of Gard Rivers of Lozère Rivers of Occitania (administrative region) Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourist attractions in Ardèche
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
but much longer.
Rates of flow at Saint-Martin d'Ardèche
The inter-annual average flow of the Ardèche was observed and calculated over a period of 26 years at Saint-Martin d'Ardèche. It amounted to for a surface basin of —i.e. the vast majority of its watershed of . The river has seasonal fluctuations: a typical flow around the Cevennes, with high water in autumn and winter being double the normal, brings the average monthly flow at the first peak of in October then, after falling to in December, a new peak occurs from in January–March (with a maximum in January). A rapid decline in flow rate follows ending in a dry period in July–August resulting in a decrease of the average monthly rate to the level of in July. (See bar chart below.)
The VCN3 (minimum flow) can drop to in a dry year.
Floods can be extremely important (usually following storms in the Cevennes). The Qix 2 and Qix 5 are respectively which is high. QIX 10 is while QIX 20 and QIX 50 respectively rise to .
The maximum instantaneous flow recorded in Saint-Martin d'Ardèche has been (two-thirds of the average flow of the Danube), while the maximum recorded daily rate was .
The runoff curve number The runoff curve number (also called a curve number or simply CN) is an empirical parameter used in hydrology for predicting direct runoff or infiltration from rainfall excess. The curve number method was developed by the USDA Natural Resources ...
flowing into the catchment of the river is annually, which is very high. The specific flow (Qs) reaches 28.3 litres per second per square kilometre of the catchment.
Flows of waterways in the Ardèche catchment
Voice server
The prefecture of Ardèche has provided a voice server since June 2005 whose objective is to regularly disseminate information messages to allow monitoring of any significant event that might trigger a civil security crisis or standby alert. Precise information on the evolution of any flood is provided.Peculiarity
The Ardèche receives water from theLoire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...
river via the "La Palisse" flood barrier and the Lake d'Issarlès. Effectively, the water is collected to feed the EDF hydroelectric plant at Montpezat-sous-Bauzon and is subsequently piped into the Fontaulière river, a tributary of the Ardèche, near the town of Aubenas.
Hydronymy
Several ancient inscriptions about a college of ''nautes'' (Boatmen) in associated rivers have been discovered in the Gard. It is possible that the two rivers concerned are the Ardèche and the Ouvèze.CIL XII, 3316 and 2317; 4107 The identification of these two rivers is still pending. However, if it does involve the Ardèche river, the spellings ''Hentica'' (from 950), then ''Ardesca'' (in the Charta Vetus) have been attested.Protected areas
The Ardèche is protected along almost all of its course. These protected areas are: *The sources of the Ardèche: Astet and Mayres, ZNIEFF type I *The Upper valley of the Ardèche, between Thueyts and Ucel: ZNIEFF type I *TheRiparian forest
A riparian forest or riparian woodland is a forested or wooded area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered chann ...
and floodplain of the Ardèche, between Ucel and Vogüé: ZNIEFF type I
*The Middle Valley of the Ardèche and its Tributaries: Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respecti ...
site
*The National Nature Reserve of the Gorges de l'Ardèche
*The lower valley of the Ardèche: ZNIEFF type I.
Tourist attractions
*TheGorges de l'Ardèche
The Gorges de l'Ardèche is made up of a series of gorges in the river and locally known as the "European Grand Canyon", Located in the Ardèche, in the French department Ardèche, forming a thirty-kilometre long canyon running from Vallon-Pont-d ...
- The Gorges de l'Ardèche (Ardèche Gorge) is located between the villages of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc (; oc, Valon) is a commune in the Ardèche department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southern France.
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its po ...
and Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche. The road along the north rim of the gorge (the ''Corniche'') has views into the gorge and over the river.
* Pont d'Arc (arched bridge) - A natural stone bridge across the river near the town of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc forms the natural to the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
* Chauvet Cave - This limestone cave, which is named after its discoverer, is in the Gorges de l'Ardèche. It contains early Stone Age cave paintings of great variety and expressiveness. Since the cave is not open to the public, photographs of cave paintings are displayed in an exhibition in Vallon-Pont d'Arc.
References
External links
Prefecture of Ardèche
Characteristic Flows - The Ardèche at Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche
Banque Hydro - Station V5064010 - The Ardèche at Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche (Sauze St. Martin) - (option Synthèse)
(Enter the Station Number)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardeche (River) Tourism in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Rivers of France Rivers of Ardèche Rivers of Gard Rivers of Lozère Rivers of Occitania (administrative region) Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourist attractions in Ardèche