Saône
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) | |
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![]() The Saône in Lyon by night | |
![]() Course of the Saône | |
Location | |
Country | France |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Vioménil |
- location | Vosges |
- coordinates | 48.094444°N 6.181944°E |
- elevation | 392 m (1,286 ft) |
Mouth | Rhône |
- location | Lyon, France |
- coordinates | 45°43′39″N 4°49′4″E |
- elevation | 158 m (518 ft) |
Length | 473 km (294 mi) |
Discharge | |
- average | 410 m3/s (14,000 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
Progression | Rhône→ Mediterranean Sea |
Tributaries | |
- left | Doubs, Lanterne |
- right | Azergues, 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
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]
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Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or (13 years)[2]
Course
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]
- Grand Est region
- Vosges department: Darney, Monthureux-sur-Saône, Châtillon-sur-Saône.
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region
- Haute-Saône: Jonvelle, Corre, Jussey, Port-sur-Saône, Scey-sur-Saône, Gray;
- Côte-d'Or: Auxonne, Saint-Jean-de-Losne, Seurre;
- Saône-et-Loire: Verdun-sur-le-Doubs, Chalon-sur-Saône, Tournus, Mâcon, Crêches-sur-Saône.
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
- Ain: Thoissey, Jassans-Riottier, Trévoux;
- Rhône: Belleville-sur-Saône, Villefranche-sur-Saône, Anse;
- Metropolitan Lyon: Neuville-sur-Saône, Fontaines-sur-Saône, Caluire-et-Cuire, Lyon, La Mulatière.
The Saône river flows into the Rhône river as a right tributary in the city of Lyon.[4]
Main tributaries
The main tributaries, over 40 km long, of the Saône river are:[1]
Left tributaries:
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Right tributaries:
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Gallery
- The source of the Saône in Vioménil.
- The Saône in Gray.
- View over the Saône, Lyon.
- The Saône river in Lyon by night.
- Confluence of Saône and Doubs rivers.
Related pages
References
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- "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.
- "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.
- "Source de la Saône" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- "Embouchure de la Saône" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 24 June 2017.