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Allier (river)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Allier
Bridge over the Allier in Brioude, Haute-Loire.
Map of the Allier in France [1]
Native nameAlèir (Occitan)
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
SourceMoure de la Gardille, Margeride
 • locationMassif Central
 • coordinates44°35′23″N 3°48′04″E / 44.58972°N 3.80111°E / 44.58972; 3.80111
 • elevation1,503 m (4,931 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Loire (bec d'Allier, Cuffy/Gimouille)
 • coordinates
46°57′34″N 3°4′44″E / 46.95944°N 3.07889°E / 46.95944; 3.07889
 • elevation
167 m (548 ft)
Length421 km (262 mi)
Basin size14,350 km2 (5,540 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average140 m3/s (4,900 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionLoireAtlantic Ocean
Map

The Allier (UK: /ˈæli/ AL-ee-ay,[1] US: /ælˈj, ɑːlˈj/ a(h)l-YAY,[2][3] French: [alje] ; Occitan: Alèir) is a river in central France. It is a left tributary of the Loire. Its source is in the Massif Central, in the Lozère department, east of Mende. It flows generally north. It joins the Loire west of the city of Nevers. It is 421 km (262 mi) long, and has a drainage basin of 14,350 km2 (5,540 sq mi).[4]

Departments and towns

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The Allier flows through the following departments, and along the following towns, from source to mouth:

Tributaries

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The main tributaries of the Allier are:

Ecology

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Grayling in a sunny pool

The Allier is one of the rare places in southern Europe where the freshwater grayling (Thymallus thymallus), known in French as ombre des rivières, occurs in a natural habitat.[5]

Grayling like to live in shoals and are sensitive to pollution. In the Allier these fish are more abundant in the stretch between Langogne and Brioude. They are economically important, being appreciated for food and fished for sport.

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References

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  1. ^ "Allier". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2019-12-29.
  2. ^ "Allier". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Allier". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  4. ^ Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau (K---0080)".
  5. ^ "The grayling zones of rivers and their tributaries" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-01-14.