Allier (river)

Allier
	Bridge over the Allier
	Map of the Allier in France
Native name	Alèir (Occitan)
Location
Country	France
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Massif Central
• elevation	1,503 m (4,931 ft)
Mouth
• location	Loire
• coordinates	46°57′34″N 3°4′44″E
Length	421 km (262 mi)
Basin size	14,350 km2 (5,540 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	140 m3/s (4,900 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Loire→ Atlantic Ocean

The Allier (UK: /ˈælieɪ/ AL-ee-ay,[1] US: /ælˈjeɪ, ɑːlˈjeɪ/ a(h)l-YAY,[2][3] French: [alje] (listen); 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

The Allier flows through the following departments, and along the following towns:

Allier: Moulins, Varennes-sur-Allier, Vichy, Saint-Yorre
Ardèche - the river runs along the border between this department and Lozère
Cher: Mornay-sur-Allier, Château-sur-Allier
Haute-Loire: Brioude, Langeac, Monistrol-d'Allier
Lozère: Langogne, La Bastide-Puylaurent
Nièvre
Puy-de-Dôme: Brassac-les-Mines, Auzat-sur-Allier, Issoire, Cournon-d'Auvergne, Pont-du-Château, Cournon-d'Auvergne

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Allier are:

Chapeauroux (left side)
Senouire (right side)
Alagnon (left side)
Anse
Couze Pavin (left side)
Dore (right side)
- Dolore (left side)
Morge (left side)
Sioule (left side)
Monne (left side)
- Veyre (left side)

Ecology

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.

Gallery

The bridge Le Guétin.

References

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

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[1] "Allier". Lexico UK Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 21 August 2019.

[2] "Allier". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 21 August 2019.

[3] "Allier". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 21 August 2019.

[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.