Thouet
Thouet | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | France |
Physical characteristics | |
Mouth | |
• location | Loire |
• coordinates | 47°16′47″N 0°6′38″W / 47.27972°N 0.11056°W |
Length | 142 km (88 mi) |
Basin size | 3,396 km2 (1,311 sq mi) |
Basin features | |
Progression | Loire→ Atlantic Ocean |
The Thouet (French pronunciation: [twɛ]) is a tributary of the Loire in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire regions of western France. The Thouet rises at Secondigny, close to the source of the Sèvre Nantaise, and joins the Loire just to the west of Saumur. It is 142.6 km (88.6 mi) long,[1] and drains an area of 3,396 km2 (1,311 sq mi).[2]
The river's name derives from the ancient
Course of the river
The Thouet rises in the Gâtine Vendéenne, the most southern outcrop of the Armorican Massif, at 225 metres (738 ft) altitude. The Armorican Massif is made up of volcanic and metamorphic rocks dating back to the Paleozoic era. This impermeable land does not result in any important aquifers but is an area of significant rainfall runoff. From the source to Parthenay the river flows in a generally east–west direction.[4][5]
To the east of Parthenay, the river turns north and flows on a generally northward heading for the rest of its course. Between Saint-Loup-Lamairé and Thouars, the river flows onto the Paris Basin, an area of sedimentary rocks where successive marine deposits of periods from the Triassic to the Pliocene were laid down. The nature of the rocks here allows the formation of an aquifer whose water reserves support the river in times of low flow.[4][5]
In order downstream, the Thouet flows through:[3][4]
- Secondigny
- Azay-sur-Thouet
- le Tallud
- Parthenay
- Châtillon-sur-Thouet
- Gourgé
- Saint-Loup-Lamairé
- Airvault
- Saint-Généroux
- Missé
- Thouars
- Taizon
- Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay
- Montreuil-Bellay
- Saint-Just-sur-Dive
- Saumur
The principal tributaries of the River Thouet are:
- The Viette, at Parthenay on the right bank
- The Palais, at Parthenay on the left bank
- The Cébron, at Saint-Loup-Lamairé on the left bank
- The Taizéon the left bank
- The Argenton, at Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay on the left bank
- The Losse, at Montreuil-Bellay on the right bank
- The Dive, at Saint-Just-sur-Dive on the right bank.
For much of its length, the Thouet is paralleled by the
The Thouet was once navigable between its confluence with the Loire and Montreuil-Bellay. The first mention of navigation on the river dates from 1430 when an assembly of merchants in Saumur suggested the creation of a navigation over this stretch of the river, requiring the creation of passages through three mill weirs. It is possible that boats were already carrying goods on the river before that date, the cargo being transferred between boats at each obstacle.[7]
The Dive, a tributary of the Thouet, was canalised in 1834 to create the Canal de la Dive. As part of this development, two modern pound locks with straight sides and mitred gates were built on the Thouet, downstream of the confluence with the Dive. A third modern lock was built at the same time on the Thouet, but upstream from the confluence of the Dive. These locks had dimensions of 32 m (105 ft) length, 5.20 m (17.1 ft) width, and a draught of 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in).[7]
However the new navigation soon faced competition from better roads and the railway, which appeared in the region in 1874. The maximum boat size imposed by the locks proved insufficient, and a proposed enlargement to the larger Freycinet gauge was never realized. The last commercial navigation on the river was in 1920.[7]
References
- .
- ISBN 978-1-906261-17-7.
- ^ a b c "France for Walkers - The Thouet Valley". France Magazine. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ a b c Carte de Promenade - 33 - Cholet Niort. Institut Geographique National.
- ^ a b Georget, Simon. "1ère partie: Les caractéristiques physiques". Le bassin versant du Thouet; espace et territoire. La nécessité d'une gestion globale. Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
- ^ "GR Long Hiking Trails". GR-INFOS. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ a b c d Bouchet, François. La Vallée du Thouet. pp. 124–128.
External links