The Eyrieux () is a tributary of the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

in the

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.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The Eyrieux runs for . It begins 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 ...

and joins the Rhône just downstream of Valence. The Eyrieux has at least three distinct landscapes. Above

Le Cheylard Le Cheylard (; oc, Lo Chailar) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and ...

, the plateau is marked by the sugarloaf cones of old volcanoes, and the land is used mostly for raising cattle and sheep. In its middle section, down to

Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Sauvador de Montagut'') is a commune of the Ardèche department in southern France. The rivers Eyrieux, Glueyre and Auzène flow through the town. Sights Ruins of an early-medieval castle ...

and

Les Ollières-sur-Eyrieux Les Ollières-sur-Eyrieux (, literally ''Les Ollières on Eyrieux''; oc, Las Olièras) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France. The nearest towns are Privas and Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut. History The first records of a ...

, the river is torrential and prone to

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...

s and extreme variation. Formerly used for

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

mills, it is now used for micro-hydroelectric production, and is a popular spot for canoeing. The river never dries up in summer, as the many dams and barrages maintain a steady flow. The lower section to the Rhône, at

Beauchastel Beauchastel () is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Beauchastellois'' or ''Beauchastelloises''. Geography Beauchastel is located some 10& ...

and

La Voulte-sur-Rhône La Voulte-sur-Rhône (, literally ''La Voulte on Rhône''; oc, La Vòuta) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France. Population Lagerstätte La Voulte-sur-Rhône is a marine Lagerstätte (sedimentary deposit) located in F ...

, opens into the valley and allows

intensive farming Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming (as opposed to extensive farming), conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of ag ...

, especially

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

orchards which are best viewed when the trees bloom in the spring.

References

Massif Central Rivers of France Rivers of Ardèche Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes {{France-river-stub