The Blanche () is a tributary of the left bank of the
Acheneau
The Acheneau () is a French river in the Loire-Atlantique Department, in the Pays de la Loire region, a tributary on the left bank of the Loire which is fed by the Lac de Grand-Lieu.
Geography
Beginning at the north of the Lac de Grand-Lieu, th ...
and thus a sub-tributary of the
Loire
The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) 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 Rhône.
It rises in the so ...
.
Etymology
The name, Blanche, meaning white in
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
, is thought to derive from the presence of white chalk in the water from the lime kilns around
Arthon-en-Retz. Another hypothesis is that the name derives from the white mist over its related marshland.
Geography
La Blanche is located entirely in the
Pays de Retz
The Pays de Retz (; ; ) is a historical subregion of France that currently forms part of the Loire-Atlantique department, but once formed part of the Duchy of Brittany.
The area lies between the southern shore of the Loire estuary and the '' Mara ...
, south of the Loire in the
department of
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Louére-Atantique''; ; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', ) is a departments of France, department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. ...
. It covers the municipalities of
Chaumes-en-Retz ( Arthon-en-Retz and
Chéméré),
Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons
Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
Population
Transport
Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons station is served by train services between Pornic and Nantes.
See also
*Communes of the Lo ...
,
Cheix-en-Retz
Cheix-en-Retz (, literally ''Cheix in Retz''; Gallo: ''Chaèz'' or ''Chi'', ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department
The following is a list of ...
and
Rouans
Rouans (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department
The following is a list of the 207 communes of the Loire-Atlantique department of France.
...
.
Hydrography
The Blanche basin is bordered by the Acheneau basins to the north, the to the east, the
Falleron
Falleron () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and terr ...
to the south and the
Canal de Haute Perche
The Haute Perche Canal ( ), despite its title, is a natural river, the , that has been slightly canalised to improve navigation between its mouth in the Bay of Bourgneuf at the port town of Pornic and the upstream settlements of , Chauvé and Ar ...
to the west. It has its source in the east of Chaumes-en-Retz and it flows eastward, fed from the north by streams from the and from the south from around Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons. After about 7km the river veers north and continues for 9km, fed by several streams from the west and east including the Ruisseau du Bois de Beaulieu at Pont Beranger. Its confluence with the Acheneau is in the marshes of the Marais de Cheix south of Cheix-en-Retz where it divides into two, the Vielle Blanche joining the Acheneau to Buzon while the Blanche continues to the west more channelled in a network of canals, joining the Acheneau further south-west of the town in the Marais d'Acheneau.
References
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Blanche
Blanche
Blanche