Adour

The Adour is a Fleuve Aquitanian Bassin in the south-west of the France. Of a 335 km length, it takes its source in the Pyrenean solid mass of the Pic of the South of Bigorre, to the collar of the Tourmalet, (Hautes-Pyrénées) and is thrown in the Atlantic Ocean after Bayonne, with Tarnos (Landes) for Right Bank and Anglet (Yrénées-Atlantiques) for left bank.

Geography

Adour is formed in the High-Bigorre valley of Campan in of the meeting of three torrents:

Adour runs out towards north on nearly a hundred kilometers through the Hautes-Pyrénées until the Département of Gers. There, it is directed towards the west, circumventing the Vignoble of Madiran, and joined the department of the Moors where it separates the slopes pre Pyrénéen S from Chalosse (in the south) of the Landes of Gascogne (in north).

It is joined with Port-with-Lanne by the joined together Gaves, of higher capacity, which bring water of the Lavedan, of the Haut-Béarn and of Soule. Then it throws in the Atlantic Ocean between the Yrénées-Atlantiques (Anglet) and the Landes (Tarnos).

Formerly, Adour ended in a delta corresponding to the Maremne, around its principal estuary of Capbreton. Its current Discharge system in the Atlantic, with height of Rebated joint, was given to him in 1578.

Adour is one of the rare European rivers to still have spawning grounds with Saumon S ( Salmo salar ).

Etymology

Adour, out of Aturri Basque, Latin Aturrus , is a name of river pre-Latin connected with the words Basque iturri “ source” and Languedocien théron “fountain”. One owes him the names of rivers the Eure ( Atura ), Aar ( Arura ), Arroux ( Aturauos ), Arve ( Aturaua ), Orne ( Otorna ), Ourcq ( Aturicos ) or of city Spanish: Tarazona (< Turiasso ; Aragon), Tossa de Mar (< Turissa ; Catalonia), Túria (Aragon, Valence)… without forgetting Aire-sur-l'Adour ( Atura , of the name to the river).

In Gascon, adour meant “source”, “river” and adourgà (Oc adorgar ) “to irrigate”. The word adur specialized out of Basque in the direction of “Destin”, “wave magic” (direction supposed d'*' humeur').

With the E century, the chronicler Froissart, mentioned Adour in these terms “ the beautiful river of Lisse which runs all in the middle of Tarbes ”.

Hydrography

Behind “large the French rivers”, Adour is the coastal river most important by its flow, whereas it is preceded by the the Dordogne and the Charente by the length.

This river of the mountain type, of pluvio-nival Mode, is dreaded for its risings, with daily outputs up to 2000 m ³ /s and of the low water levels up to 30 m ³ /s.

Adour is navigable on 75 km, without lock. It is a River of first category (torrential) upstream of Maubourguet.

Deviations and their consequences

At the time glacial, Adour dug the Gouf of Capbreton , a Fjord now underwater which deeply notches the continental shelf on 50 km with broad of the old roads of Capbreton (today Lakes Hossegor and Moïsan).

Since, Adour often changed mouth. He wandered with the liking of the stranding of his delta of Trossoat (become the Boucau nau “new mouth”) with the Plecq (then become Port of Albret and since the Boucau bielh or Old man-Boucau).

If it still ran out in Capbreton at the beginning of our era, in 910 a rising directs it towards north by Soustons and Old man-Boucau. In 1164 it bores the dune vis-a-vis Bayonne then turns over to Capbreton, which it forsakes in 1390 for Port-in Albret.

In 1562, the town of Bayonne, alors declining, obtained Charles IX of France that one gave him an direct access with the ocean. It is Louis de Foix which made realize perforated towards the ocean in which the river engulfed the October 25th 1578. At that time the Bayonne branch of Adour went up Trossoat towards north to join the Boudigau.

In spite of in Digue lies, the stranding of its estuary creates a conflict of water masses known under the name of bars of Adour , which makes delicate the access to the Port of Bayonne and imposes a regular dredging of the master key. The course of Adour after Bayonne changed considerably since the 14th century since it was thrown then in the ocean with Capbreton in the bed of current the Boudigau. -->

Principal affluents

The basin of Adour is the Bassin pouring of Adour and of its Affluent S. the principal affluents of Adour are:

1) in High-Bigorre , the three branches founders is:

  • (D) the Adour de Payolle, of the solid mass of the Arbizon (2831 m),
  • (G) the Adour de Gripp, coming from the Tourmalet (2 114 m)
  • (G) Adour of Lesponne, coming from the Hourquette d' Ouscouaou,
followed:

2) in River-Low , of Maubourguet to Riscle (Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers)

3) Armagnac & Vic-Bilh , of Riscle to Aire-sur-l'Adour

4) Country of Marsan Right Bank and Chalosse left bank, of Aire-sur-l'Adour to Holy-Marie-of-Kid

4) Country of Kid and Seignanx Right Bank and Basque Country left bank

See also: Channel of Alaric

History

Adour maintained a strong activity goods transport on Galupes (Gabarre S landaises), making it possible to run out the production of the interior of South-west and in particular the wines of the Gascon vineyards. This activity will perdura until orée of the E century when it was inclined in front of the arrival of the train, faster and more economic. The four main ports of Adour were, by decreasing order of tonnage carried out:

the Middle Ages, it was used to transport the products of the interior of South-west, in particular the wines of Aquitaine, and is used still today as vector of export of the principal Gascon productions, in particular the Maïs.

Adour maintained a strong activity goods transport on Galupes (Gabarre S landaises) until orée of the E century. The arrival on this date of the train, faster and more economic, marked the end of this activity. The four main ports of Adour were, by decreasing order of tonnage carried out: -->

For that, it is advisable to add the traffic coming from the Port of Mount-of-Marsan, borrowing the Midouze before joining Adour with height of Tartas.


Adour with Surface-on-the Adour

Today still, Adour is used as vector of export of certain local productions like the Maïs.

External bonds

  • Adour: history, geography and diversion

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