Saône

river of France

The Saône is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône river. It starts in the Vosges department and joins the Rhône in the city of Lyon.

Saône
Sona  (Arpitan)
The Saône in Lyon by night
Course of the Saône
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
SourceVioménil
 - locationVosges
 - coordinates48°05′40″N 6°10′55″E / 48.094444°N 6.181944°E / 48.094444; 6.181944
 - elevation392 m (1,286 ft)
MouthRhône
 - locationLyon, France
 - coordinates45°43′39″N 4°49′4″E / 45.72750°N 4.81778°E / 45.72750; 4.81778
 - elevation158 m (518 ft)
Length473 km (294 mi)
Discharge 
 - average410 m3/s (14,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionRhôneMediterranean Sea
Tributaries 
 - leftDoubs, Lanterne
 - rightAzergues, Morgon

Two French departments has the name of the river in their names: Haute-Saône and Saône-et-Loire, both in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.

Geography

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The Saône river has a length of 480 km (298.3 mi) and a drainage basin with an area of 29,950 km2 (11,564 sq mi).[1]

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 470 m3/s (17,000 cu ft/s) at Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or in the Metropolitan Lyon.[2]

Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or (13 years)[2]

Course

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The Saône river starts in the commune of Vioménil in the Vosges department, at an altitude of about 405 m (1,329 ft).[3] The river flows in general to the south-southwest.

The Saône river flows through the 3 regions and 6 departments. It flows through the following communes, among others:[1]

The Saône river flows into the Rhône river as a right tributary in the city of Lyon.[4]

Main tributaries

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The main tributaries, over 40 km long, of the Saône river are:[1]

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "La Saône (U---0000)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "La Saône à Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or [2]". Banque Hydro (in French). Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement Durable et de l'Energie. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  3. "Source de la Saône" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  4. "Embouchure de la Saône" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 24 June 2017.