Chiers

The Chiers is a free-belgo-Luxembourg river, (it also bears the name of Korn or Kor for its part running to Luxembourg; in Luxembourg Kuer ). It is important tributary of the Meuse out of Right Bank.

Geography

Chiers takes its source on the territory of the commune of Differdange in the section (old commune) of Oberkorn in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and passes by the south-eastern corner of Athus (Aubange) in Belgium.

It enters in Lorraine/France, in Meurthe-et-Moselle, with Longlaville, sprinkles Longwy, Longuyon, Montmédy in the department of the Meuse, Carignan in the department of the the Ardennes and joined the Meuse out of Right Bank with Remilly-Aillicourt.

With height of Torgny (Rouvroy), Chiers materializes the border between the Belgium and France.

Its length is of 112 km, and its catchment area extends on 2 222 km ². The average interannual flow of the river on the level of its confluence with the Meuse with Remilly-Aillicourt is assembled to 30,6 m ³ a second.

On the level of the Chiers-Meuse confluence, one described in the valley of Chiers a ZNIEFF (or natural Zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest), under the name of " Valley of Chiers de Remilly-Aillicourt with Ferté-on-Chiers" (N° SPN: 210000738). This one constitutes the habitat of 200 animal species from including 115 protected, and of 133 plant species including 1 protected space. 3 threatened plant species and 26 animal species there are counted (11 species of birds and 15 of insects). One can regard the abundance of species of birds as remarkable (137 quoted species).

Affluents and tributaries of a tributary

Its principal affluents and tributaries of a tributary are:

the Crusnes, left bank
the Your, Right Bank
the Othain, left bank
the Thonne, Right Bank
the Loison, left bank

the Azanne, left bank
the Thinte, left bank

the Walk, Right Bank
the Aulnois, Right Bank

the Matton, left bank

Hydrology

Chiers is an abundant river, following the example its neighbors of the area of the west of Lorraine. Its flow was observed over one 42 years period (1966-2007), with Carignan, city of the department of the the Ardennes located little before its confluence with the Meuse. The catchment area of the river is there of 1 967 km ² (either 88,5% of this one which extends on 2 222 km ²).

The interannual medium flow or module of the river with Carignan is of 26,1 m ³ a second.

Chiers present of the seasonal fluctuations of flow marked enough, as often in the east of France, but is definitely more regular than the average of the rivers of Lorraine, with high waters of winter-spring carrying the average flow monthly on a level located between 32 and 46 m ³ a second, from December to April included (with an in February maximum), and prolonged enough low waters of summer, from June to October, with a fall of the monthly medium flow up to 10,9 m ³ in September, which remains relatively comfortable.

With the low water levels, the VCN3 can fall until 5,9 m ³, which remains acceptable, and even abundant compared with the minimum flows of its neighbor the Orne for example. Let us recall that the VCN3 is the past minimal quantity or minimal flow over three days consecutive.

As for the risings, they can be important. Thus the recorded maximum instantaneous flow was of 217 m ³ a second on May 28th, 1983, while the value maximum day laborer was of 204 m ³ a second on February 24th, 1970. The QIX 10 or calculated flow of decennial rising is of 160 m ³ a second, the QIX 20 of 180 m ³ and the QIX 50 of 210 m ³. The QIX 2 and QIX 5 are worth as for them respectively 110 and 140 m ³ (see note). From where it results that risings of May 1983, whose mention was made, were of order cinquantennal, and thus almost exceptional.

As comparison with another river of Lorraine, let us stress that the QIX 10 of its neighbor, the Orne at the end of the course, is worth 280 m ³ against 160 for Chiers, and that its QIX 50 is assembled to 370 m ³ (against 210 for Chiers), and this in spite of a definitely less basin and a module for the Flowering ash. It is to say that the risings of the Flowering ash are much more important than that of Chiers, and than the latter appears in Lorraine like a rather regular river.

Chiers is well fed by abundant precipitations of its basin. The Lame of water past in its catchment area is of 419 millimetres annually, which is definitely higher than the overall average of France, but remains a little lower than the average of the French basin of the the Moselle (445 millimetres with Hauconcourt), as well as Meuse with Chooz, close to its exit of the French territory (450 millimetres). The specific Flow (or Qsp) reached the figure of 13,2 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin.

Flora and fauna of the valley of Chiers

Birds

Particularly remarkable and diversified, the avifauna of the valley counts 137 species inventoried in the natural Zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest of valley of Chiers between Remilly-Aillicourt and It Ferté-on-Chiers.

Among them, eleven are registered on the red list of the birds threatened of Champagne-Ardenne: the Corncrake, the ashy Curlew which is a very rare nichor, the crested Vanneau, the Dipper, the ashy Busard, the Phragmite of the snap rings, the gray Pie-grièche, the Rouge-queue with white face this one in strong regression, it tarier of Europe, the black Milan and the royal Milan.

The valley of Chiers represents an important migratory halt for many birds. The variety of the biotopes, including the whole of the major bed of the river and the adjacent zones, supports multiple species, and in particular the limicolous birds and the Anatidés (ducks). Certain species station there during their migration; it is the case of the ashy Grue, of the Petit gravelot, the black Guifette, the Canard chipeau, the Shoveler, the Canard pintail, the Wigeon, the Oie of the harvests, the Barge to black tail, of the Chevalier Sylvain, the Chevalier wheatear, the Greenshank, the Chevalier combatant, the Redshank and good of others still. Other species winter on the site and reproduce there, the such Foulque macroule, the Canard mallard, the crested Grèbe and the castagneux Grèbe.

Many raptors fly over the zone either to drive out there, or in the search of a site for nidifier. It is the case of the sparrowhawk of Europe, of the Around the wood pigeons, the tube, the Faucon kestrel, the Faucon small landed proprietor, the Bondrée apivore, the ashy Busard.

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