Loir
The Loir is a river in central France. It is a left tributary of the Sarthe. It flows through two regions of France: Centre-Val de Loire and Pays de la Loire
| Loir Le Loir (French) | |
|---|---|
 The Loir in Lavardin | |
 | |
| Etymology | From Gaulish ledo, "flow"[1] |
| Nickname(s) | Loir sans E ("Loir-without-E")[2][3] |
| Location | |
| Country | France |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| - location | Perche |
| - elevation | 150 m (490 ft) |
| Mouth | |
| - location | Sarthe |
| - coordinates | 47°33′27″N 0°31′35″W / 47.55750°N 0.52639°W |
| Length | 319 km (198 mi) |
| Basin size | 8,270 km2 (3,190 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 33 m3/s (1,200 cu ft/s) |
The Eure-et-Loir and Loir-et-Cher departments are named after this river.
Geography
changeThe Loir is 317.4 kilometres (197.2 miles) long. Its drainage basin covers 8,294 square kilometres (3,202 square miles).[4]
Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 31.70 m3/s (1,119 cu ft/s) at Durtal, Maine-et-Loire (1961 - 2017).[5]
Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Durtal
Course
changeThe Loir starts in the former province of Perche, in the commune of Champrond-en-Gâtine, Eure-et-Loir department, Centre-Val de Loire region. It starts at an altitude of about 265 metres (869 feet).[6]
The Loir flows, in general, to the southwest. It goes through the following regions, departments and communes:[4]
- Centre-Val de Loire region
- Eure-et-Loir: Alluyes, Illiers-Combray, Bonneval, La Chapelle-du-Noyer, Châteaudun, Cloyes-sur-le-Loir, Donnemain-Saint-Mamès, Douy, Marboué, Moléans, Montboissier, Montigny-le-Gannelon, Romilly-sur-Aigre, Saint-Avit-les-Guespières, Saint-Christophe, Saint-Denis-les-Ponts, Saint-Éman (sources), Saint-Hilaire-sur-Yerre, Saint-Maur-sur-le-Loir, Saumeray, Le Thieulin.
- Loir-et-Cher: Areines, Artins, Brevainville, Couture-sur-Loir, Fréteval, Lavardin, Les Roches-l'Évêque, Lignières, Lisle, Mazangé, Meslay, Montoire-sur-le-Loir, Morée, Naveil, Pezou, Saint-Firmin-des-Prés, Saint-Hilaire-la-Gravelle, Saint-Jacques-des-Guérets, Saint-Jean-Froidmentel ; Saint-Martin-des-Bois, Saint-Ouen, Tréhet, Villiers-sur-Loir, Vendôme, Thoré-la-Rochette.
- Pays de la Loire region
At its end, the Loir flows into the Sarthe river at the place called Bec du Loir ("beak of the Cher")[N 1] in Briollay, Maine-et-Loire department, at 16 metres (52 feet) of altitude.[7]
Main tributaries
changeThe main tributaries of the Loir are:
|
Left tributaries:
|
|
Right tributaries:
|
Gallery
change-
The Loir in La Flèche. -
The Loir in Vendôme. -
The Loir in Durtal. -
The Loir in Villevêque
Related pages
changeNotes
change- ↑ The French word bec (beak or bill in English) means, in this and similar cases, the confluence of two rivers.
References
change
- ↑ Nègre, Ernest (1990). Toponymie générale de la France. ISBN 9782600028837.
- ↑ "Noms de départements et de Régions | Orthodidacte". 15 February 2018.
- ↑ Maubeuge, Pierre L. (December 6, 1996). Comme une odeur de pétrole--: la recherche du pétrole en France des origines à 1945. Pierron. ISBN 9782708501485 – via Google Books.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "le Loir (M1--0160)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ↑ "Le Loir à Durtal" (in French). Banque Hydro. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ↑ "Source du Loir" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ↑ "Confluence du Loir" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 9 August 2017.