Ardèche (river)
| Ardèche | ||
 Ardèche gorge |
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| Data | ||
| Water code | FR : V50-0400 | |
| location | France , Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitania regions | |
| River system | Rhône | |
| Drain over | Rhône → Mediterranean | |
| source | in the municipality of Astet 44 ° 42 ′ 1 ″ N , 4 ° 2 ′ 40 ″ E |
|
| Source height | approx. 1430 m | |
| muzzle | at Pont-Saint-Esprit in the Rhone coordinates: 44 ° 15 ′ 52 " N , 4 ° 38 ′ 52" E, 44 ° 15 ′ 52 " N , 4 ° 38 ′ 52" E |
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| Mouth height | approx. 45 m | |
| Height difference | approx. 1385 m | |
| Bottom slope | approx. 11 ‰ | |
| length | 125 km | |
| Catchment area | 2376 km² | |
| Drain at the Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche gauge |
MQ |
65 m³ / s |
| Small towns | Aubenas , Pont-Saint-Esprit | |
 Pont d'Arc natural rock gate |
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The Ardèche is a river in southern France that runs through the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitania regions.
course
The Ardèche rises in the Monts d'Ardèche Regional Nature Park , in the municipality of Astet , drains generally in a south-easterly direction, forms the impressive Gorges de l'Ardèche gorges in its lower reaches and flows into the river after 125 kilometers at Pont-Saint-Esprit as a right tributary Rhône . On its way, the Ardèche crosses the Ardèche department , for which it is namesake, and the Gard department .
Places on the river
- Astet
- Thueyts
- Lalevade d'Ardèche
- Ucel
- Aubenas
- Saint-Sernin
- Ruoms
- Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
- Salavas
- Pont-Saint-Esprit
Tributaries
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Left tributaries: |
Right tributaries: |
Hydrology
The mean flow rate at the Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche gauge is 65 m³ per second. The range of fluctuation over the course of the year, however, ranges from 12 m³ in summer to 110 m³ in winter. At the beginning of autumn, sometimes even at the end of summer, there can be very strong thunderstorms here. The abundant rainfalls can not be completely absorbed by the karst soil and cause tributaries of the Ardèche to swell by leaps and bounds. Even dried out small brooks turn into raging rivers after such a thunderstorm. The water level can rise by several meters within a few hours.
water sports
The Ardèche is a very popular area for canoeing . Due to the sometimes heavy rainfall in spring, the river can carry a lot of water at this time. The rapids that are normal during the summer swell and become more challenging for water sports. During the summer, the Ardèche generally has little water compared to spring or autumn. The river is very quiet at times, especially in front of the narrow rapids that accumulate the water. The Ardèche is therefore a river especially at this time, which is ideal for family excursions by canoe , as almost all rapids can be bypassed or carried around . In addition, the banks invite you to picnic , the drive through the canyon often offers shady sections, and it is also possible to observe wild animals living there. The upper section of the river from the hamlet of Les Mazes to the Pont d'Arc is monitored by its own kayak police during the months of July and August due to the high number of tourists on the river . Overnight stays or the creation of fire pits outside of two chargeable landing or overnight sites in the Gorges de l'Ardèche are prohibited due to the risk of fire in summer, as is children under seven years of age sailing on the river. Every year at the beginning of November, a spectacular white water marathon (“ Marathon International des Gorges de l'Ardèche ”) with up to 1500 participants takes place on this section of the river . The different boat classes of kayaks and Canadians are started at the same time.
Navigability
- The upper course between the source and Aubenas plunges through a narrow valley and can only be navigated when the snowmelt and after heavy rainfall. Here the Ardèche offers sometimes extreme white water. The Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge) near Thueyts is worth seeing .
- The middle course between Aubenas and Ruoms flows through a relatively wide valley and offers interesting, sporty water hiking trails with many gravel banks. Between Ruoms and Vallon-Pont-d'Arc , the river is almost completely dammed up by weir systems ; despite the boat slides, this stretch is hardly used. The picturesque towns of Vogüé and Balazuc are a tourist attraction.
- The lower course is a special attraction with the so-called Gorges de l'Ardèche , which represent the breakthrough from the high plateau Plateau de Gras below the French Massif Central into the Rhône plain in the form of an approximately 30 km long gorge. The high plateau is between 200 and 300 meters high and has the Dent de Rez as its highest point with a height of 712 meters.
Attractions
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The Gorges de l'Ardèche are located between the towns of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc and Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche . The corniche along the rim of the canyon offers spectacular views of the canyon and the river.
Natural stone bridge over the river near the town of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc .
In the Ardèche gorges lies the famous Chauvet cave , a limestone cave named after its discoverer with early Stone Age cave paintings of enormous plasticity and expressiveness. Since the cave is not open to the public, a replica of essential parts of the cave was opened on April 25, 2015 on the site east of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc on the road to Bourg-Saint-Andéol .
- Madeleine grotto (stalactite cave) between Vallon Pont d'Arc and Saint Martin, open to the public since 1969.
Flora and fauna
The narrow river valley in the upper reaches (before Aubenas) is the kingdom of the chestnut trees. As a result of deforestation in the Middle Ages and overgrazing of the area until the middle of the 20th century, the central part up to Ruoms is relatively poor in plants. Mostly evergreen shrubs ( macchia ) grow through the barren karst soil - the Mediterranean garrigue , with fragrant plants such as thyme , rosemary , lavender , and savory . In the river itself, only a few aquatic plants thrive at barrages. In summer there are problems with algae formation in some places due to the high water temperature.
The animal world is richer. Mammals are present, but hardly visible, but in recent years the nocturnal beaver has reclaimed the entire Ardèche Valley and its tributaries as a habitat. Bats have ideal living conditions in the many karst caves . Wild boars and wild goats are hunted.
Gray herons can be seen as striking birds on the banks of the river, and griffon vultures nest in the region. In the spring tens of thousands of carp-like noses migrate through the river to their spawning grounds in the upper reaches and the tributaries. Eel and trout are caught .
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ source geoportail.fr
- ^ Estuary geoportail.fr
- ↑ a b c The information on the length of the river is based on the information about the Ardèche at SANDRE (French), accessed on November 13, 2011, rounded to the nearest kilometer.
- ↑ hydro.eaufrance.fr (station: V5064010 , option: Synthèse )
- ↑ International kayak and canoe marathon Gorges de l'Ardèche (French)
