Ain (river)

river in eastern France

The Ain (in Franco-Provençal: En) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône river. It gave its name to the French department of Ain.

Ain
En
Course of the Ain.
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
Source 
 - locationJura mountains
 - coordinates46°44′58″N 6°1′24″E / 46.74944°N 6.02333°E / 46.74944; 6.02333 (source Ain)
 - elevation± 700 m (2,300 ft)
Mouth 
 - locationRhône
 - coordinates45°47′45″N 5°10′10″E / 45.79583°N 5.16944°E / 45.79583; 5.16944 (Rhône-Ain)
Length190 km (120 mi)
Basin size3,630 km2 (1,400 sq mi)
Discharge 
 - average130 m3/s (4,600 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionRhôneMediterranean Sea

Geography

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The Ain river has a length of 190 km (118.1 mi), and a drainage basin with an area of 3,765 km2 (1,454 sq mi).[1]

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 121 m3/s (4,300 cu ft/s) at Chazey-sur-Ain in the Ain department.[2]

Course

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The source of the Ain is a karst spring (a spring that is part of a karst system) in the Jura mountains, between the Conte an the La Favière communes (Jura department), at an altitude of about 680 m (2,231 ft).[3] From here, the Ain flows to the south.

The Ain river flows through 2 regions, 2 departments and 66 communes. It flows through the following communes, among others:[1]

Finally, it flows into the Rhône river in the commune of Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans, on the border with the Isère department.[4]

Main tributaries

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The main tributaries of the Ain river are:[1]

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "L'Ain (V2--0200)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  2. "L'Ain à Chazey-sur-Ain" (in French). Banque Hydro. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  3. "Source de l'Ain" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  4. "Confluence de l'Ain" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 9 November 2016.

Other websites

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