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Creuse (river)

Coordinates: 47°0′22″N 0°34′7″E / 47.00611°N 0.56861°E / 47.00611; 0.56861
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Creuse
La Creuse in Argenton-sur-Creuse
Native nameLa Creuse (French)
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationPlateau de Millevaches
 • elevation932 m (3,058 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Vienne
 • coordinates
47°0′22″N 0°34′7″E / 47.00611°N 0.56861°E / 47.00611; 0.56861
Length263 km (163 mi)
Basin size9,570 km2 (3,690 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average81 m3/s (2,900 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionVienneLoireAtlantic Ocean

The Creuse (French pronunciation: [kʁøz] ; Occitan: Cruesa) is a 263-kilometre (163 mi) long river in western France, a tributary of the Vienne.[1] Its source is in the Plateau de Millevaches, a north-western extension of the Massif Central.

Course

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The Creuse flows northwest through the following departments and towns:

The Creuse flows into the Vienne about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Châtellerault. It receives its longest tributary, the Gartempe, in La Roche-Posay.

The Creuse valley is the setting for paintings by the so-called Crozant School, including works by Armand Guillaumin and a series of vivid landscapes by the Bordeaux artist Alfred Smith.[2]

Dams and lakes

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Diagram of the Creuse Dams

There are six hydroelectric dams on the river. Three are in the Creuse département with one at Chambon-Sainte-Croix above Anzême, one at Les Chezelles near Le Bourg-d'Hem and one at L'Âge upstream of La Celle-Dunoise. The remaining three are in the Indre including the Éguzon Dam which was opened in 1926 and was, at the time, the largest dam in Europe.[citation needed] The lakes created by the dams are popular tourist destinations and several have artificial beaches and leisure facilities.[citation needed]

Main tributaries

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References

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  1. ^ Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - La Creuse (L---0070)".
  2. ^ Hollis Koons McCullough, ed. (2005). "Alfred Smith". Telfair Museum of Art: collection highlights. University of Georgia Press. pp. 156–157. ISBN 0-933075-04-9.
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