Moselotte

The Moselotte is a river of Lorraine born in the Massif of the Vosges with the fountain of the Duchess, close to the Hohneck.

She crosses the Bresse, Cornimont, Saulxures, Thiéfosse Vagney, St Heart and the Trade union then joined the the Moselle with Remiremont. Its length is of 47 km and its basin of 356 km ².

Principal affluents

Hydrology

At the station of Vagney

Like the majority of the other rivers of the Vosges, Moselotte is a very abundant river. Its flow was observed during one 40 years period (1967-2006), with Vagney (in Zainvillers), locality located upstream of its confluence with the the Moselle. The catchment area of the river is there of 187 km ² is 53% of its totality and corresponds to the higher half of this river.

The interannual medium flow or module of the river with Vagney is of 8,54 m ³ a second.

Moselotte presents seasonal fluctuations of flow marked enough, with one period of high waters of winter-spring carrying the average monthly flow on a level located between 10,8 and 13,2 m ³ a second, from November to April included (with an in December maximum). As of at the beginning of May the flow decreases quickly to lead to the period of the low waters which proceeds July at September, with a fall of the monthly medium flow going up to 3,06 m ³ in August, which is not extremely severe for a river of this size. However the fluctuations of flow can be more important according to the years and over shorter periods.

With the low water level the VCN3 can fall until 0,370 m ³, in the event of dry quinquennial period, that is to say 370 liters a second, which is rather severe, but corresponds to the average of the rivers of the basin of the Moselle (see note).

As for the risings, they can be important taking into account the smallness of the catchment area (187 km ² only). The QIX 2 and QIX 5 or calculated flows of biennial and quinquennial rising are worth respectively 97 and 110 m ³ a second. The QIX 10 or calculated flow of decennial rising is of 120 m ³ a second, the QIX 20 of 130 m ³, while the QIX 50 is assembled to 150 m ³ a second (see note).

The recorded maximum instantaneous flow with Vagney during this period, was of 121 m ³ a second on February 15th, 1990, while the recorded maximum daily output was of 108 m ³ a second the same day. If one compares the first of these values on a QIX scale of the river, one notes that this rising was hardly of a decennial nature, and thus intended to frequently reproduce.

On the whole, Moselotte is an extremely abundant river, in its higher course. The Lame of water past in this part of 53% of its catchment area is of 1  445 millimetres annually, which is extremely high for the northern half of France, and more than four times higher than the average of the country. They is also three times superior with the average of the French basin of the the Moselle. The specific Flow of the river (or Qsp) reached of this fact the very consequent figure of 45,7 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin.

With the confluence with the Moselle

The average interannual flow or module of the river to the confluence of the Moselle is worth 13,7 m ³ a second for a catchment area of 356 km ². The water blade run out in its basin is of 1  214 millimetres, which is really very high, not only largely higher than that of the average of France (more than three times), all confused basins, but also with the average of the French basin of the Moselle. Indeed, the water blade of the Moselle with Hauconcourt, locality located a little downstream from the town of Metz, close to its exit of the French territory rises with 445 millimetres. The specific Flow or Qsp of Moselotte is assembled of this fact at 38,5 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin. It is with the specific flow of the Breuchin (affluent of the Lanterne, therefore tributary of a tributary of the the Saone), resulting besides from the same area, a record for one the northern third of France.

It should be noted that with the confluence of the Moselle, Moselotte is definitely more abundant than the latter (13,7 m ³ against 9,3).

Economic assets

Very populated in Trout S, the river inspired a decisive progress of the Pisciculture, the invention of the artificial propagation by Joseph Remy and Antoine Géhin at the 19th century. The basin of Moselotte is also densest of the world in small hydroelectric stoppings , for the mills, sawmills, spinning mills and weavings which mark out the river and its affluents.
the photography, taken opposite downstream from the Bresse, shows a derivation supplying a turbine. The principal bed was equipped with a elevator to trouts.

Lakes

The catchment area of Moselotte counts the many reserves natural but often raised by a small stopping: Lake Blanchemer, Lake Lispach, Lake of the Corbels…

Since 1983, a stopping of altitude to the foot of the Kastelberg generated the Lac of the Moor. It collects water of several sources by pressure pipes and provides its energy to the commune of the Bresse.

At the entry downstream of Saulxures, a reserve of 9,6 hectares was arranged in 1998 under the name of Lac of Moselotte and is surrounded by a base of leisures.

References

Random links:Imbabura | Puzeaux | Costa Rica-France in football | Luna (mythology) | KH-12