Allier (river)

The Allier () is a river in central France, left tributary of the Loire River. It flows through several regions.

The Allier department is named after this river. In Ancient Rome, the river was named Elaver.

Geography
The Allier river has a length of  and a drainage basin with an area of .

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is  at Cuffy in the Cher department.

Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Cuffy (1955 - 2017)

Course
The source of the Allier is in the mountainous region of Margeride, part of the Massif Central, on the mountain Moure de la Gardille in the Chasseradès municipality, Lozère department. The source is at an altitude of about .

The Allier flows, in general, to the north and passes through the following regions, departments and communes:

 Occitanie region
 Lozère: Langogne
 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
 Ardèche: the river forms the border between this department and Lozère.
 Haute-Loire: Alleyras, Auzon, Brioude, Langeac, Lavoûte-Chilhac
 Puy-de-Dôme: Brassac-les-Mines, Auzat-la-Combelle, Issoire, Coudes, Cournon-d'Auvergne, Pont-du-Château
 Allier: Vichy, Varennes-sur-Allier, Moulins
 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
 Nièvre: Marzy, Gimouille
 Centre-Val de Loire
 Cher: Cuffy

Finally, it flows, as a left tributary into the Loire river at the bec d'Allier ("beak of the Allier"),The French word bec (beak or bill in English) means, in this and similar cases, the confluence of two rivers. near the city of Nevers, in the limits between the Cher and Nièvre departments in the towns of Marzy, Cuffy and Gimouille, at  of altitude.

Main tributaries
The main tributaries, with a length greater than , of the Allier are:

Left tributaries:
 Chapeauroux - 56 km;
 Ance - 40.3 km;
 Alagnon - 85.9 km;
 Couze Pavin - 46 km;
 Morge - 68.4 km;
 Andelot - 49.4 km;
 Sioule - 163.3 km;

Right tributaries:
 Senouire - 63.1 km;
 Dore - 140.4 km;
 Sichon - 41.1 km;

Gallery

Related pages
 List of rivers of France

Notes

 References 

Other websites

 Banque Hydro - Station K3650810 - L'Allier à Cuffy (Synthèse)  
 The river Allier - Loire Nature

Category:Rivers of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Category:Rivers of Centre-Val de Loire
Category:Rivers of Occitanie
Category:Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Category:Allier