The Aude (; ;

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

''Atax'' ) is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the ...

of southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

that is long. Its source is in the Pyrenees mountains then runs to

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the ...

and finally reaches the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

near

Narbonne Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the M ...

. The river is navigable by raft or canoe for nearly all of its length. It is registered as essential to the

Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon (; oc, Lengadòc-Rosselhon ; ca, Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania. It comprised five departments, and b ...

region. The river gave its name to the

Aude Aude (; ) is a department in Southern France, located in the Occitanie region and named after the river Aude. The departmental council also calls it " Cathar Country" (French: ''Pays cathare'') after a group of religious dissidents active i ...

'' department''.

Etymology

In antiquity, the ''Aude'' was called ''Atax'' by the Romans. Some authors in antiquity called the river ''Narbôn'' (e.g.

Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...

). In 1342 the Roussillon

Cartulary A cartulary or chartulary (; Latin: ''cartularium'' or ''chartularium''), also called ''pancarta'' or ''codex diplomaticus'', is a medieval manuscript volume or roll ('' rotulus'') containing transcriptions of original documents relating to the f ...

of Alart called it the ''Auda'' or the ''Ribera d'Aude''.Jacques Amiel, ''L'AUDE. Fleuve du pays cathare'', Les presses du Languedoc, Montpellier, 1999 , p. 21. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

the terms ''Adice'', again ''Atax'', ''Fluvium Atacis'', ''Flumine Atace'', ''Flumen Ataze'', and ''Juxta Aditum fluvium'' were also used to designate the Aude. In all likelihood the current name comes from a gradual evolution of ''Atax'' given by Strabo (in his ''Geography'', Book IV), a word borrowed from the Gallic term ''atacos'' meaning "spirited" or "very fast".

Geography

Course

The river has its source in the ''Massif of Carlit'' at the Lac d'Aude at an elevation of in the commune of Les Angles (department of

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean ...

) and flows parallel to the Tet. The Col de la Quillane, elevation , marks the boundary of the watershed. The river then flows into the

a few kilometres from

at ''Grau de Vendres'' (near Cabanes-de-Fleury) on the border between the departments of

and

Matemale Matemale (; ca, Matamala) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Matemale is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Population See also *Comm ...

, Puyvalador) before plunging into gorges (those of Saint-Georges are the most scenic) crossing ancient terrain. Starting from Axat, after being joined by the ''Aiguette'' on the right bank and the ''Rébenty'' on the left bank, the river flows through bands of pre-Pyrénéen

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 wh ...

(in the Pierre-Lys Gorges) and passes through a series of small communes: Quillan,

Espéraza Espéraza (; oc, Esperasan) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. It lies on the Aude just north of the foothills of the Pyrenees. Population History * The church was built during the 13th century. * One of the old pilg ...

, Couiza,

Alet-les-Bains Alet-les-Bains (; ''Alet'' in Occitan, formerly spelt ''Aleth'') is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Geography Alet-les-Bains is located near a hot springs in Aude in the south of France. The villag ...

, then

Limoux Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Occitanie region in southern France. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling w ...

. Downstream of this great medieval city, the Aude flows eastwards. This elbow results from a

Stream capture Stream capture, river capture, river piracy or stream piracy is a geomorphological phenomenon occurring when a stream or river drainage system or watershed is diverted from its own bed, and flows instead down the bed of a neighbouring stream. ...

, the Aude having once flowed in the valley of the Hers, indicating a deepening by an ancient hydrology following the uplifting of the Pyrénées. Source of the River Aude

From Carcassonne, the river becomes calmer following the great tectonic furrow which separates the Pyrénées ( Corbières) from 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 10,00 ...

(

Montagne Noire The Montagne Noire ( oc, Montanha Negra, known as the 'Black Mountain' in English) is a mountain range in central southern France. It is located at the southwestern end of the Massif Central at the juncture of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude departm ...

), receiving from these heights a series of tributaries of which the main ones are the

Orbieu The Orbieu (; oc, Orbiu) is an long river in the Aude ''département'', in south central France. Its source is at Fourtou, in the Corbières Massif. It flows generally northeast. It is a right tributary of the Aude into which it flows between Ra ...

on the right bank, and the ''Argent-Double'' and the ''Casse'' on the left bank. From this point, bordered by the Canal du Midi and sinuous amid

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vine ...

, the Aude enters the broad alluvial plain of Narbonne with the main stream flowing to the

Gulf of Lion The Gulf of Lion or Gulf of Lions (French: ''golfe du Lion'', Spanish: ''golfo de León'', Italian: ''Golfo del Leone'', Occitan: ''golf del/dau Leon'', Catalan: ''golf del Lleó'', Medieval Latin: ''sinus Leonis'', ''mare Leonis'', Classical ...

and some waters diverted to a network of ancient ponds before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea .

Hydrography

France-Lagrasse-Village et Pont Vieux - 2005-12-27

The Aude has a

catchment area In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people ar ...

of that extends unevenly across six departments: Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège,

Haute-Garonne Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country' ...

, Tarn, and Hérault (Haute-Garonne and Tarn are only affected by the course of tributaries and sub-tributaries of the river). Before Carcassonne, the Aude receives tributary streams of short length which often have the characteristics of mountain torrents. Starting from the prefecture of Aude department in the lower valley the Aude river joins with the largest rivers, most of them from the Montagne Noire. From upstream to downstream, the main tributaries of the Aude, longer than 10 km, are: * the Lladura or ''Lladure'' (16 km), left bank at

Réal Réal (; ca, Real) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Réal is in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Population Sites of interest * The Sain ...

; * the Galbe (14 km), left bank at Puyvalador; * the Bruyante (14 km), left bank at Usson-les-Bains; * the Aiguette (20 km), right bank at Sainte-Colombe-sur-Guette; * the Rébenty (34 km), left bank at Saint-Martin-Lys; * the Saint-Bertrand (19 km), right bank at Quillan; * the Ruisseau de Fa or ''Faby'' (14 km), left bank at

; * the Sals (20 km), right bank at Couiza; * the Ruisseau de Castillou, right bank at

; * the Véraza, right bank at

; * the Saint-Polycarpe (13 km), right bank at

; * the Corneilla (22 km), left bank at

; * the Cougaing (17 km), left bank at

; * the Sou de Val de Daigne (30 km), left bank at

Cépie Cépie (; oc, Cépia) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aude department The following is a list of the 433 communes of the Aude department of France. The communes cooperate i ...

; * the Lauquet (37 km), right bank at Couffoulens; * the Fresquel (63 km), left bank at

; * the Trapel (19 km), left bank at

Villedubert Villedubert (; oc, Viladubèrt) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aude department The following is a list of the 433 communes of the Aude department of France. The communes c ...

; * the Orbiel (41 km), left bank at

Trèbes Trèbes (; oc, Trebes) is a commune in the Aude department, southern France. It is around 7 km east of the centre of Carcassonne. History Located on an important river crossing, Trèbes was originally known as Tresmals (Three Fords) bu ...

; * the Argent-Double (37 km), left bank at La Redorte; * the Ognon (23 km), left bank at

Olonzac Olonzac (; oc, Lonzac) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is known as the "capital of the Minervois Minervois is an AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, in the departments of the ...

; * the

(84 km), right bank at Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude; * the Cesse (54 km), left bank at

Saint-Marcel-sur-Aude Saint-Marcel-sur-Aude (, literally ''Saint-Marcel on Aude''; oc, Sant Marcèl) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aude department The following is a list of the 433 communes of t ...

Hydrology

In its upper reaches the Aude has a ''nivo-pluvial regime'' (with a maximum flow in spring linked to snowmelt). Then from Carcassonne where the average flow rate reaches , the system is almost entirely rainfed (The flow at Grau de Vendres where it meets the Mediterranean is around .) The Aude is thus characterized in its lower course by a pluvio-nival regime of meridional type with high

baseflow Baseflow (also called drought flow, groundwater recession flow, low flow, low-water flow, low-water discharge and sustained or fair-weather runoff) is the portion of the streamflow that is sustained between precipitation events, fed to streams by ...

in summer, in August at Moussan in the lower alluvial plain not far from the river mouth, against an average of . Heavy autumnal rains enable a rapid rise in the flow rate which peaks in February, and is supported by the spring snowmelt from the

Pyrénées The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

mountains.

Floods of 1999

Exceptional and sudden rainfall, so characteristic of the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

during the autumnal season, can be the cause of devastating floods such as those of 12 and 13 November 1999. The results of this event, which affected the lower valley of the Aude, were catastrophic: 35 victims, hundreds of people evacuated by helicopter or rescued from thousands of homes, businesses, and commercial premises which were more or less damaged, of vineyards more or less ruined, roads, drinking water networks, and sanitation were seriously affected.''The floods of November 1999 in the Aude''
on the Préfecture of Aude website. The scale of the disaster was due to the combination of two factors:

Thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...

s with rainfall on an unprecedented scale. Up to fell in two days at Lézignan-Corbières, that is to say more than the average annual total. In addition, a strong storm in the Gulf of Lyon led to a rise of in the sea level and, combined with the strong waves and wind, prevented the flow of water already swollen by the torrential rains.

Floods of 2018

Remnants of Hurricane Leslie fed a quasi-stationary

cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...

over southwestern France, generating heavy thunderstorms and leading to

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing ...

ing in that area.. The Aude rose to a height of , its highest level since 1891.

received of rainfall within five hours; water level in the city rose during that period. At least 14 people died because of the flash flood, mainly in the town of Villegailhenc,

History or environment

Departments and towns crossed

: in the region of Capcir to

, and

Formiguères Formiguères (; ca, Formiguera) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Departmen ...

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.Olonzac Olonzac (; oc, Lonzac) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is known as the "capital of the Minervois Minervois is an AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, in the departments of the ...

, Lespignan, Vendres *

: Axat, Belvianes-et-Cavirac, Quillan, Campagne-sur-Aude,

, Montazels, Couiza,

, Coursan, Cuxac-d'Aude, Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude *Ariège:

Rouze Rouze (; Languedocien: ''Rosa'') is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Rouze are called ''Rouzéens''. See also *Communes of the Ariège department The following is a list of the 327 Com ...

Bibliography

*Jacques Amiel, ''L'AUDE. Fleuve du pays cathare'', Les presses du Languedoc, Montpellier, 1999 *Jean Faure, ''The son of a radelier'', Atelier du gué, Villelongue d'Aude, 2001 ()

References

{{Authority control Rivers of France 0Aude Rivers of Aude Rivers of Pyrénées-Orientales Rivers of Occitania (administrative region)