The Hers-Vif (, "Live Hers", as opposed to the slower flowing
Hers-Mort
The Hers-Mort (; ; the "Dead Hers", as opposed to the faster-flowing Hers-Vif, or "Live Hers") is a long river in southern France, a right-bank tributary of the Garonne. Its average flow rate is . The Hers-Mort rises in the Lauragais region, near ...
, "Dead Hers"), also named ''Grand Hers'' or simply ''Hers'', is a long
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in southern
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 ...
, right tributary of the
Ariège.
The Hers-Vif rises at an elevation of about near the
Chioula Pass of the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
, approximately north of
Ax-les-Thermes
Ax-les-Thermes (; oc, Ax or ) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of south-western France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Axéens'' or ''Axéennes''.
The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''N ...
. It is the major tributary of the Ariège into whose right bank it flows upstream from
Cintegabelle
Cintegabelle (; oc, Senta Gabèla) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.
Geography
The commune is bordered by ten other communes, five of them is in Haute-Garonne and five of them is in Ariège: Auterive to the n ...
in the
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's ...
.
It flows some through the Pyrenees, descending to the village of Peyrat, where it reaches a piedmont plain. Its valley widens as it traverses the plain, reaching the medieval city of
Mirepoix
A mirepoix ( ; ) is a flavor base made from diced vegetables cooked—usually with butter, oil, or other fat—for a long time on low heat without coloring or browning, as further cooking, often with the addition of tomato purée, creates a dark ...
, which marks the start of its lower valley.
Several rivers flow into it:
*From the Pyrenees: the
Lasset; the
Fontaine de Fontestorbes; the
Touyre
*From the piedmont plain and hills: the
Blau and the
Douctouyre;
*From the hills of
Lauragais
The Lauragais () is an area of the south-west of France that is south-east of Toulouse.
The Lauragais, a former county in the south-west of France, takes its name from the town of Laurac and has a large area. It covers both sides of the Canal ...
and
Razès
Razès (; oc, Rasés; ca, Rasès) is a historical area in southwestern France, in today's Aude ''département''.
Several communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of ...
: the
Ambronne and the
Vixiège.
Departments and towns along its course are:
*
Ariège:
Prades,
Bélesta,
La Bastide-sur-l'Hers
La Bastide-sur-l'Hers (, literally ''La Bastide on the Hers-Vif, Hers''; oc, La Bastida d'Èrç) is a Communes of France, commune in the Ariège (department), Ariège Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Oc ...
,
Mirepoix
A mirepoix ( ; ) is a flavor base made from diced vegetables cooked—usually with butter, oil, or other fat—for a long time on low heat without coloring or browning, as further cooking, often with the addition of tomato purée, creates a dark ...
,
Mazères
*
Aude
Aude (; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Ca ...
:
Comus
In Greek mythology, Comus (; grc, Κῶμος, ''Kōmos'') is the god of festivity, revels and nocturnal dalliances. He is a son and a cup-bearer of the god Dionysus. He was represented as a winged youth or a child-like satyr and represents ana ...
,
Chalabre
Chalabre (; Languedocien: ''Eissalabra'') is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.
The capital of the Quercorb region, it is a relatively unspoilt ''bastide'' with shady streets and quiet alleyways.
The local industry died ou ...
*
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's ...
:
Calmont
Floods
The Hers is probably known as ''vif'' (''intense'' or ''rapid'' in this context) because of its sometimes spectacular floods – that of 16 June 1289 having entirely destroyed Mirepoix. More recently, there have been:
* 23 June 1875: estimated flow rate of at
Mazères;
* 6 February 1919: estimated flow rate of at Mazères;
* 19 May 1977: estimated flow rate of at Mazères;
* 16 January 1981: estimated flow rate of at Mazères;
* 11 June 2000: estimated flow rate of at Mazères;
* 24 January 2004: estimated flow rate of at Mazères.
References
Rivers of France
Rivers of Ariège (department)
Rivers of Aude
Rivers of Haute-Garonne
Rivers of Occitania (administrative region)
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