Dourdou de Camarès

The Dourdou de Camarès is a river south of the France area the Midday-Pyrenees. Not to confuse with the Dourdou de Conques which is another river. The river has a clear and full of fish water which can transfer towards an ocher red color at the time of large storms. It crosses geological zones rich in ferric clay and collection the rainwater in charge of this ocher color. The river of the Tarn which remains clear per good weather is coloured by water of Dourdou at the time of the strong rains.

Geography

It takes its source in the mounts of Espinouse (Herault). In its initial part, it marks the border between the departments of the Herault and the Tarn. Between Fayet and Camarès, Dourdou curves in broad meadows and its course is cut by large roadways of mills. Its banks are released enough. A little later it runs in a deep valley and takes a torrent-like profile by crossing some difficult and superb passages for sporting fishings. With Abrupt, it is calmed slightly in beautiful meadows by forming long sharp currents on a bottom of rollers. Grown bigger by the Nuéjouls downstream from Fayet, Dourdou, broad from ten to twelve meters, takes its almost final profile of river. It returns to Aveyron close to the village of Arnac-on-Dourdou and is thrown in the Tarn with Broquiès. Its water is rather fast and it measures two to three meters of width.

Principal affluents

the Nuéjouls
the Sorgues
the Len
the Grauzou

Hydrology

minimal Flow (with Vabres-l' Abbey): 1,5 m ³ /s
maximum Flow (with Vabres-l' Abbey): 650 m ³ /s (rising of September 27th, 1992)

The flow of Dourdou de Camarès was observed for one 32 years period (1961-1992), with Vabres-l' Abbaye, locality of the Département of the Tarn, located very close to the confluence with the Tarn. The catchment area of the river is of 658 km ².

The interannual medium flow or module of the river with Vabres-l' Abbaye is of 12,1 m ³ a second.

Dourdou de Camarès present of the important seasonal fluctuations of flow, with high waters of winter carrying the average flow monthly on levels located between 17,2 and 21,4 m ³ a second, from January to April included (maximum in February), and of low waters of summer, July with the beginning of October, accompanied by a fall of the monthly medium flow going until 3,09 m ³ in August, which remains rather comfortable.

However, the VCN3 can fall until 1,6 m ³ a second, in the event of dry period quinquennial, which cannot be described as severe (see note).

In addition, the risings can be extremely important. The QIX 2 and QIX 5 or calculated flows of biennial and quinquennial rising are worth respectively 280 and 440 m ³ a second. The QIX 10 or calculated flow of decennial rising is worth 550 m ³ a second, while the QIX 20 is of 650 m ³. Finally the QIX 50 is assembled to 780 m ³ a second. (see note). These figures are very high, they reach 75% of those of the Agout to Lavaur, whose basin is however 3,5 times vaster. They are higher also than those of the Herault, proportionally with extended from the basin. But they however yield it to those of the Ardèche. The recorded maximum instantaneous flow with Vabres-l' Abbaye was of 650 m ³ a second on September 1st, 1992, while the value maximum day laborer was of 487 m ³ a second on January 17th, 1972. By comparing the first of these figures with the values of the various QIX of the river, it appears that this rising was of a vicennial nature and thus by no means exceptional. One can consider that it is intended to repeat itself every 20 years on average.

The Lame of water past in the basin of Dourdou de Camarès is of 581 millimetres annually, which is high, close to twice higher than the overall average to France, all confused basins, and largely superior also with the whole of the catchment area of the Garonne (384 millimetres). The specific flow (or Qsp) is assembled consequently at 18,3 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin.

Departments and crossed cities

Herault: Castanet-le-Haut.
Tarn: Murat-on-Vèbre.
Aveyron: Arnac-on-Dourdou, Abrupt, Camarès, Montlaur, Vabres-l' Abbey, Saint-Izaire.

History

In August 1944, the resistant ones come from Cambon, blew up partially the Bridge of Crushes which allows the road connecting Murat-on-Vèbre and Castanet-le-Haut, to cross Dourdou. A hard combat engaged between them and the German troops folding up itself towards the Valley of the Rhone. A monument perpetuates the memory of resistant fallen this day.

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