Senouire

The Senouire is a French river which runs in the area of Auvergne, in the department of Haute-Loire. It is an affluent Allier out of Right Bank, therefore a tributary of a tributary of the the Loire.

Geography

Senouire takes its source in the Haute-Loire, the commune of Sembadel, and direct initially towards north, direction which it quickly gives up by making to a complete half-turn on the level of Chair-God, in direction of the south initially, then south-west. Arrived at the level of Paulhaguet, it changes last once of orientation, towards the North-West this time, direction which it maintains grosso-modo until the end of its course.

It is thrown in the Allier with Fontannes a little upstream of Brioude.

Common crossings

Affluents

the Doulon (Right Bank)
the Lidenne (left bank)

Hydrology

Senouire is a moderately abundant river. Its flow was observed during one 47 years period (1961-2007), with Paulhaguet, locality of the department of the Haute-Loire located at a dozen kilometers of its confluence with the Allier in Fontannes. The catchment area of the river is there of 155 km ² is more or less 90% of its totality of 170 km ².

The interannual medium flow or module of the river with Paulhaguet is of 1,57 m ³ a second.

Senouire presents seasonal fluctuations of flow rather moderate, like very often the affluents of the Loire resulting from well sprinkled mountains. The high waters are held in winter and in spring and are characterized by an oscillating average monthly flow between 1,97 and 2,38 m ³ a second, from December to May included (with an in May maximum). At the beginning of June, the flow falls quickly to the low waters which occur in summer, by July to September included, and are accompanied by a fall of the monthly medium flow going up to 0,44 m ³ in August, which is still rather consistent. But the fluctuations are much more marked over moreover short periods or according to the years.

With the low water level, the VCN3 can fall until 0,052 m ³, in the event of dry period quinquennial, that is to say 52 liters a second, which becomes severe. The VCN3 is the past minimal quantity or minimal flow over three days consecutive.

As for the risings, they can be extremely important taking into account the smallness of the basin of the river. The QIX 2 and QIX 5 or calculated flows of biennial and quinquennial rising are worth respectively 21 and 34 m ³ a second. The QIX 10 or calculated flow of decennial rising is of 44 m ³ a second, the QIX 20 of 52 m ³, while the QIX 50 is assembled to 64 m ³ a second (see note).

The recorded maximum instantaneous flow with Paulhaguet was of 123 m ³ a second on April 1st, 1983, while the value maximum day laborer was of 57 m ³ a second on April 25th of the same year. If one compares the first of these values on a QIX scale of the river, one notes that this rising was by far higher than a rising cinquantennale, certainly higher also than the level of a centennial, i.e. in fact, very exceptional rising.

Senouire is a moderately abundant river in the context of the Massif Central. The Lame of water past in its catchment area is of 320 millimetres annually, which is equivalent to the overall average of France as well as basin Allier (326 millimetres), but definitely higher than the average of the basin of the the Loire (244 millimetres). The specific Flow of the river (or Qsp) reached the figure of 10,2 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin.

Curiosities - Tourism

Chair-God: superb abbey with abbey gothic script of XIVe century. Organ of time Louis XIV. Festivals of classical music. Health resort of summer equipped well. Ski touring in winter. Excursions. Pony-club, and many other attractions.

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