The Allier ( , , ; oc, Alèir) is a river in central France. It is a left tributary of the

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

. Its source is in the

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...

, in the

Lozère Lozère (; oc, Losera ) is a landlocked department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the east by Ardèche, to the south by Gard, to the west by Aveyron, ...

department, east of Mende. It flows generally north. It joins the Loire west of the city of

Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France. It was the principal city of the ...

. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .

Departments and towns

The Allier flows through the following departments, and along the following towns: *

Allier Allier ( , , ; oc, Alèir) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region that borders Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire to the east, Puy-de-Dôme to the south, and Creuse to the south-west. Named afte ...

: Moulins,

Varennes-sur-Allier Varennes-sur-Allier (, literally ''Varennes on Allier''; oc, Varenas) is a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. History In 52 BC during the Gallic Wars lived by Julius Caesar, Vercingetorix crosse ...

Vichy Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais. It is a Spa town, spa and resort town and in World ...

Saint-Yorre Saint-Yorre (; oc, Sant Tiorre) is a commune in the Allier department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Auvergne as former region), central France. The locality is renowned for its highly mineralized mineral water Mineral water is water from a miner ...

Ardèche Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Lozère Lozère (; oc, Losera ) is a landlocked department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the east by Ardèche, to the south by Gard, to the west by Aveyron, ...

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

Mornay-sur-Allier Mornay-sur-Allier () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography An area of lakes and streams, forestry and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated by the banks of the river A ...

Château-sur-Allier Château-sur-Allier () is a commune in the Allier department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Allier department The following is a list of the 317 communes of the Allier department of France. Intercommunalitie ...

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche ...

Brioude Brioude (; Auvergnat: ''Briude'') is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the river Allier, a tributary of the Loire. History At Brioude, the ancient ''Bri ...

Langeac Langeac (; oc, Lanjac) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. It is located about 30 km west of Le Puy-en-Velay, and about 100 km southwest of Lyon. Population See also * Communes of the Haute-Loire d ...

Monistrol-d'Allier Monistrol-d'Allier (, literally ''Monistrol of Allier''; oc, Monistròl d'Alèir) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Haute-Loire department The following is a list of th ...

Langogne Langogne (; oc, Lengònha) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. Located on the antique Regordane way, the Paris–Nimes railway line and the road RN 88 (Lyon–Toulouse), the city has long been a commercial crossroad betw ...

La Bastide-Puylaurent La Bastide-Puylaurent (; oc, Puèglaurenç) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. The Trappist monastery Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (Our Lady of the Snows), visited by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1878 and described in his book '' ...

Nièvre Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.Brassac-les-Mines Brassac-les-Mines (; Auvergnat: ''Braçac'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. It is the seat of the canton of Brassac-les-Mines. Population See also * Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme d ...

Auzat-sur-Allier Auzat-la-Combelle () is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. It is in the canton of Brassac-les-Mines. Population See also * Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department The following is a list ...

Issoire Issoire (; Auvergnat: ''Issoire'', ''Ussoire'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. Geography Issoire is located on the river Couze, near its confluence with the Allier, SSE of Clermont-Ferrand on the ...

Cournon-d'Auvergne Cournon-d'Auvergne (; Auvergnat: ''Cornon d'Auvèrnhe'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. It lies southeast of Clermont-Ferrand, the prefecture and largest city of Puy-de-Dôme. Population ...

, Pont-du-Château,

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Allier are: *

Chapeauroux The Chapeauroux () is a long river in the Lozère and Haute-Loire ''départements'', south-central France. Its source is near Estables, in the Margeride. It flows generally northeast. It is a left tributary of the Allier into which it flows bet ...

(left side) *

Senouire The Senouire (; oc, Senoira) is a long river in the Haute-Loire'' département'', south-central France. Its source is at Sembadel. It flows generally west. It is a right tributary of the Allier into which it flows between Fontannes and Viei ...

(right side) *

Alagnon The Alagnon (''Alanhon'' in Occitan), also spelled ''Allagnon'', is an river in south-central France. It is a left tributary of the river Allier. Its source is near the village of Laveissière, near the Plomb du Cantal in the Massif Central. T ...

(left side) * Anse *

Couze Pavin Couze is an Auvergnat word meaning torrent. It may refer to the following places in France: Watercourses * Couze (Corrèze), a river in Corrèze, a tributary of the Corrèze * Couze (Vézère), a river in Corrèze, a tributary of the Vézère ...

(left side) * Dore (right side) **

Dolore The Dolore () is a French river in the Auvergne region. It originates in the monts du Livradois and joins the Dore, left bank; hence it is a sub-affluent of the Loire. It is long. Geography The Dolore originates at Fournols, in the Livrad ...

(left side) * (left side) *

Sioule The Sioule (; oc, Siula) is a long river in central France, a left tributary of the river Allier. Its source is near the village of Orcival, north of Mont-Dore, in the Massif Central. The Sioule has cut a deep gorge, especially in its upper cou ...

(left side) * Monne (left side) ** Veyre (left side)

Ecology

The Allier is one of the rare places in southern Europe where the freshwater grayling (Thymallus thymallus), known in French as ''ombre des rivières'', occurs in a natural habitat. Grayling like to live in

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

s and are sensitive to pollution. In the Allier these fish are more abundant in the stretch between

and

. They are economically important, being appreciated for food and fished for sport.

Gallery

Image:Allier Pont Canal LeGuétin.jpg, The bridge Le Guétin.

References

Rivers of France Rivers of Allier Rivers of Ardèche Rivers of Cher (department) Rivers of Haute-Loire Rivers of Lozère Rivers of Nièvre Rivers of Puy-de-Dôme Rivers of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Rivers of Centre-Val de Loire Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Rivers of Occitania (administrative region) {{France-river-stub