Gave de Pau

Gave de Pau
Gave de Pau in Orthez
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
Source 
 - locationPyrenees
Mouth 
 - locationGaves réunis
 - coordinates43°32′24″N 1°5′24″W / 43.54000°N 1.09000°W / 43.54000; -1.09000 (Gaves réunis-Gave de Pau)
Length181.3 km (112.7 mi)
Basin size5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi)
Discharge 
 - average82 m3/s (2,900 cu ft/s)

The Gave de Pau is a river of south-western France. It is a left tributary of the Adour river.

It takes its name from the city Pau, through which it flows. The word gave is a name given to rivers on the mountains in regions of the western Pyrenees; so, Gave de Pau means "the river of Pau" or "the river that flows through Pau". Many other rivers in the region have the word gave as part of their names.

Geography

The Gave de Pau has a length of about 190.7 km (118.5 mi), including the Gave de Gavarnie, and a drainage basin with an area of approximately 2,575 km2 (994 sq mi).

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 81.20 m3/s (2,868 cu ft/s) at Bérenx, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department.


Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Bérenx


Course

The Gave de Pau starts in the Cirque de Gavarnie, in the Parc national des Pyrénées ("Pyrénées National Park"), in the commune of Gavarnie, Hautes-Pyrénées department, at an altitude of about 2,600 m (8,530 ft). The upper part of the river is known as Gave de Gavarnie; the name Gave de Pau is given to the river after the Gave de Gavarnie joins the Bastan river at Luz-Saint-Sauveur.

The Gave de Pau receives its main tributary, the Gave d'Oloron, in Peyrehorade and, from there, it is named as Gaves Réunis (United Gaves). Finally, it flows, as a left tributary, into the river Adour in the Landes department, at about 3 m (10 ft) of altitude.

The Gave de Pau flows through 90 communes. It passes through the following regions, departments and communes:

Main tributaries

The tributaries of Gave de Pau with a length greater than 29 km (18.0 mi) are:

References

  1. 1 2 "Gave de Pau (Q---0100)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Le Gave de Pau à Bérenx (Pont de Bérenx)" (in French). Banque Hydro. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "Source de Gave de Gavarnie ou de Pau" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Confluence des Gaves Réunis" (in French). Géoportail. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "L'Ouzom (Q48-0400)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "La Baïse (Q53-0400)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Gave d'Azun (Q46-0400)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Le Laâ (Q54-0400)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Ruisseau de l'Ousse (Q51-0430)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "L'Ousse des Bois (Q5230500)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Gave d'Oloron (Q---0150)" (in French). SANDRE - Portail national d'accès aux référentiels sur l'eau. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.

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