Allier (river) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Allier |
|
| River | |
 The Allier river in Brioude
|
|
| Country |  France |
|---|---|
| Regions | Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val de Loire |
| Departments | Allier, Ardèche, Cher, Haute-Loire, Lozère, Nièvre, Puy-de-Dôme |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Chapeauroux, Alagnon, Morge, Sioule |
| - right | Dore, Senouire |
| Cities | Vichy, Moulins |
| Source | Moure de la Gardille |
| - location | Margeride, Massif Central, France |
| - elevation | 1,430 m (4,692 ft) |
| - coordinates | 44°35′16″N 3°47′35″E / 44.58778°N 3.79306°E |
| Mouth | Loire |
| - location | Cuffy, Cher, France |
| - elevation | 167 m (548 ft) |
| - coordinates | 46°57′33″N 3°04′46″E / 46.95917°N 3.07944°E |
| Length | 420.7 km (261 mi) |
| Basin | 14,310 km² (5,525 sq mi) |
| Discharge | for Cuffy |
| - average | 143 m³/s (5,050 cu ft/s) |
The Allier (Occitan: Alèir) is a river in central France, left tributary of the Loire River. It flows through several regions.
The Allier department is named after this river. In Ancient Rome, the river was named Elaver.
Geography
The Allier river has a length of 420.7 km (261.4 mi) and a drainage basin with an area of 14,310 km2 (5,525 sq mi).
Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 143.0 m3/s (5,050 cu ft/s) at Cuffy in the Cher department.
 |
| Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Cuffy (1955 - 2017) |
Course
The source of the Allier is in the mountainous region of Margeride, part of the Massif Central, on the mountain Moure de la Gardille in the Chasseradès municipality, Lozère department. The source is at an altitude of about 1,430 m (4,692 ft).
The Allier flows, in general, to the north and passes through the following regions, departments and communes:
- Occitanie region
- Lozère: Langogne
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
- Ardèche: the river forms the border between this department and Lozère.
- Haute-Loire: Alleyras, Auzon, Brioude, Langeac, Lavoûte-Chilhac
- Puy-de-Dôme: Brassac-les-Mines, Auzat-la-Combelle, Issoire, Coudes, Cournon-d'Auvergne, Pont-du-Château
- Allier: Vichy, Varennes-sur-Allier, Moulins
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Nièvre: Marzy, Gimouille
- Centre-Val de Loire
- Cher: Cuffy
Finally, it flows, as a left tributary into the Loire river at the bec d'Allier ("beak of the Allier"), near the city of Nevers, in the limits between the Cher and Nièvre departments in the towns of Marzy, Cuffy and Gimouille, at 167 m (548 ft) of altitude.
Main tributaries
The main tributaries, with a length greater than 40 km (25 mi), of the Allier are:
|
Left tributaries:
|
Right tributaries:
|
Gallery
-
The Allier river near Pont-du-Château.
-
The Allier at Vichy.
-
The Allier river.
-
The Bec d'Allier at Cuffy : confluence of the Allier and the Loire.
.jpg)
Related pages
Images for kids
-
Grayling in a sunny pool
-
The bridge Le Guétin.
See also
In Spanish: Río Allier para niños
