Dordogne (river)

The Dordogne () is a river in south-central and southwest France. The Dordogne river and its drainage basin was named as a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO on 11 July 2012.

Geography
The Dordogne has a length of , and a drainage basin with an area of approximately .

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 274 cubic metres per second at Bergerac.

Average monthly discharge (m3/s) at Bergerac (1958-2011)

Course
The Dordogne starts on the sides of the Puy de Sancy, Massif Central, in the commune of Mont-Dore, Puy-de-Dôme department, at an elevation of about .

It flows generally west through the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and the Dordogne department before flowing into the Gironde where it joins, in the north of the city of Bordeaux, the Garonne river to form the Gironde estuary, at about  of altitude.

The Dordogne flows through 4 regions, 6 departments and 173 communes. The main communes are:

 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
 Puy-de-Dôme: Mont-Dore, La Bourboule, La Bourboule, Avèze, Singles, Larodde, Labessette
 Cantal: Beaulieu, Lanobre, Madic, Saint-Pierre, Champagnac, Veyrières, Arches, Chalvignac
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
 Corrèze: Bort-les-Orgues, Saint-Julien-près-Bort, Liginiac, Neuvic, Soursac, Argentat, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
 Occitanie region
 Lot: Carennac, Bétaille, Vayrac, Martel, Souillac
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
 Dordogne: Carlux, Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Beynac-et-Cazenac, Saint-Cyprien, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, Mauzac-et-Grand-Castang, Lalinde, Mouleydier, Creysse, Bergerac, Prigonrieux
 Gironde: Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Castillon-la-Bataille, Libourne, Fronsac, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Bourg, Cubzac-les-Ponts

Main tributaries 
The main tributaries (more than 50 km long) of the Dordogne river are:

Left tributaries:
 Rhue - 56.6 km;
 Maronne - 92.6 km;
 Cère - 120.4 km;
 Céou - 55.1 km;

Right tributaries:
 Chavanon - 54.2 km;
 Diège - 54.4 km;
 Triouzoune - 51.3 km;
 Luzège - 64.2 km;
 Doustre - 51.2 km;
 Vézère - 211.2 km;
 Isle - 255.3 km;

Gallery

Related pages
 List of rivers of France

 References 

Other websites

 Banque Hydro - Station P5140010 - La Dordogne à Bergerac  
The Dordogne Valley in the Lot department 
The Dordogne Valley UNESCO Biosphere Reserve  

Category:Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Category:Rivers of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Category:Rivers of Occitanie