Couesnon
Couesnon | |
---|---|
Native name | Le Couesnon (French) |
Location | |
Country | France |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Normandy |
Mouth | |
• location | English Channel |
• coordinates | 48°37′4″N 1°30′41″W / 48.61778°N 1.51139°W |
Length | 97.8 km (60.8 mi) |
Basin size | 1,124 km2 (434 sq mi) |
The Couesnon (French pronunciation:
Geography
The Couesnon, the Sée and the Sélune form part of the complex water system of the bay of Mont Saint-Michel. On one side, the tide brings large quantities of sediment which cause large sandbars within the river. On the other, the three watercourses drive the sediment back out to sea.
In the 20th century, the Couesnon was turned into a canal, to reduce the erosion of its banks. In 1969, a dam was built. These modifications, and the causeway linking Mont Saint-Michel to the mainland, have caused the buildup of mudflats. To prevent the Mont becoming too connected to the mainland, plans are in place to replace the causeway with a bridge, and to modify the dam so that the sediment can once again be driven out to sea.
During
The Couesnon flows through the following departments and towns:
Hydrology and water quality
Summer flow is typically in the range of 4.2 cubic metres per second (150 cu ft/s). the
References
- Hogan, C Michael, Water quality of freshwater bodies in France, Lumina Tech. Press, Aberdeen (2006)