Allier (river)

The Allier (Occitan: Alèir) is a river in central France, left tributary of the Loire River. It flows through several regions.

Allier Alèir  (Occitan)
Bridge over the Allier
Map of the Allier in France [1]
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 department is named after this river. In Ancient Rome, the river was named Elaver.

Geography

The Allier river has a length of 420.7 km (261.4 mi) and a drainage basin with an area of 14,310 km² (5,525 sq mi).

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 143.0 m³/s (5,050 cu ft/s) at Cuffy in the Cher department.

Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Cuffy (1955 - 2017)

Course

The Allier river at Vichy.

The source of the Allier is in the mountainous region of Margeride, part of the Massif Central, on the mountain Moure de la Gardille in the Chasseradès municipality, Lozère department. The source is at an altitude of about 1,430 m (4,692 ft).

The Allier flows, in general, to the north and passes through the following regions, departments and communes:

• Occitanie region
  • Lozère: Langogne
• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
  • Ardèche: the river forms the border between this department and Lozère.
  • Haute-Loire: Alleyras, Auzon, Brioude, Langeac, Lavoûte-Chilhac
  • Puy-de-Dôme: Brassac-les-Mines, Auzat-la-Combelle, Issoire, Coudes, Cournon-d'Auvergne, Pont-du-Château
  • Allier: Vichy, Varennes-sur-Allier, Moulins
• Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
  • Nièvre: Marzy, Gimouille
• Centre-Val de Loire
  • Cher: Cuffy

Finally, it flows, as a left tributary into the Loire river at the bec d'Allier ("beak of the Allier"), near the city of Nevers, in the limits between the Cher and Nièvre departments in the towns of Marzy, Cuffy and Gimouille, at 167 m (548 ft) of altitude.

Main tributaries

The main tributaries, with a length greater than 40 km (25 mi), of the Allier are:

Left tributaries:

• Chapeauroux - 56 km;
• Ance - 40.3 km;
• Alagnon - 85.9 km;
• Couze Pavin - 46 km;
• Morge - 68.4 km;
• Andelot - 49.4 km;
• Sioule - 163.3 km;

Right tributaries:

• Senouire - 63.1 km;
• Dore - 140.4 km;
• Sichon - 41.1 km;

Gallery

• 
  The Allier river near Pont-du-Château.
• 
  The Allier at Vichy.
• 
  The Allier river.
• 
  The Bec d'Allier at Cuffy : confluence of the Allier and the Loire.

Related pages

• List of rivers of France

Other websites

• Banque Hydro - Station K3650810 - L'Allier à Cuffy (Synthèse) Archived 2015-02-19 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
• The river Allier - Loire Nature