Gave de Pau Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Gave de Pau
River
Gave de Pau in Lourdes
Country	France
Regions	Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Departments	Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes
Communes	Argelès-Gazost, Lourdes, Pau, Orthez, Peyrehorade

Tributaries
- left	Ouzoum, Bayse, Gave d'Oloron
Cities	Pau, Lourdes, Orthez


Source	Cirque de Gavarnie
- location	Pyrenees, Occitanie, France
- elevation	2,600 m (8,530 ft)
- coordinates	42°41′45″N 0°02′01″W / 42.69583°N 0.03361°W / 42.69583; -0.03361
Mouth	Gaves réunis
- location	Peyrehorade, Landes, France
- elevation	4 m (13 ft)
- coordinates	43°32′25″N 1°05′26″W / 43.54028°N 1.09056°W / 43.54028; -1.09056

Length	190.7 km (118 mi)
Basin	2,575 km² (994 sq mi)
Discharge	for Bérenx
- average	81.2 m³/s (2,868 cu ft/s)

The Gave de Pau is a river of south-western France; it is a left tributary of the Adour river.

It takes its name from the city Pau, through which it flows. The word gave is a name given to rivers on the mountains in regions of the western Pyrenees; so, Gave de Pau means "the river of Pau" or "the river that flows through Pau". Many other rivers in the region have the word gave as part of their names.

Geography
- Course
Main tributaries
Gallery
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Geography

The Gave de Pau has a length of about 190.7 km (118.5 mi), including the Gave de Gavarnie, and a drainage basin with an area of approximately 2,575 km² (994 sq mi).

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 81.20 m³/s (2,868 cu ft/s) at Bérenx, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department.

Average monthly discharge (m³/s) at Bérenx

Course

The Gave de Pau starts in the Cirque de Gavarnie, in the Parc national des Pyrénées ("Pyrénées National Park"), in the commune of Gavarnie, Hautes-Pyrénées department, at an altitude of about 2,600 m (8,530 ft). The upper part of the river is known as Gave de Gavarnie; the name Gave de Pau is given to the river after the Gave de Gavarnie joins the Bastan river at Luz-Saint-Sauveur.

The Gave de Pau receives its main tributary, the Gave d'Oloron, in Peyrehorade and, from there, it is named as Gaves Réunis (United Gaves). Finally, it flows, as a left tributary, into the river Adour in the Landes department, at about 3 m (10 ft) of altitude.

The Gave de Pau flows through 90 communes. It passes through the following regions, departments and communes:

Occitanie region
- Hautes-Pyrénées: Gavarnie, Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Pierrefitte-Nestalas, Argelès-Gazost, Lourdes, Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre
Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Lestelle-Bétharram, Coarraze, Nay, Pau, Artix, Orthez
- Landes: Labatut

Main tributaries

The tributaries of Gave de Pau with a length greater than 29 km (18.0 mi) are:

Left tributaries
- Ouzom - 33.2 km;
- Baïse - 40.6 km;
- Gave d'Azun - 29.1 km;
- Laâ - 29.5 km;
Right tributaries
- Ousse - 42.4 km;
- Ousse des Bois - 32.3 km;
- Gave d'Oloron - 148.2 km;