Dordogne (river)

Geography

The river rises on the flanks of the Puy de Sancy at 1885 m above sea level in the mountains of Auvergne, from the confluence of two small torrents above the town of Le Mont-Dore: the Dore and the Dogne. It flows generally west nearly 500 km through the Limousin and Périgord regions before flowing into the Gironde, its common estuary with the Garonne, at the Bec d'Ambès ("Ambès beak"), north of the city of Bordeaux.

Etymology

Despite appearances, the name Dordogne is not actually a portmanteau of Dore and Dogne. The name instead comes from the ancient Durānius, likely derived from Doranonia, composed from the Indo-European root *dhuro (from , "to run, flow") and two suffixes: ano, to which onia was appended.

Influenced by the suffix onna, which is found in many river names, medieval forms adopted a reduplicated suffix ononia: Dorononia fluvius (6th century), Dornonia (8th century), which evolved into Dordonia (9th century) through a process of dissimilation, thus presenting the false impression of a Dore-Dogne etymology. Aimoin of Fleury is the first known author to have used the name Dordonia.

In Occitan, the river is known as Dordonha.

Nature

The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit the phenomenon of a tidal bore, known as a mascaret.

The upper valley of the Dordogne is a series of deep gorges. The cliffs, steep banks, fast flowing water and high bridges attract both walkers and drivers. In several places the river is dammed to form long, deep lakes. Camp sites and holiday homes have proliferated wherever the valley floor is wide enough to accommodate them.

Below Argentat and around Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, the valley widens to accommodate fertile farmland, well-watered pasture and orchards. In the towns, which are major tourist attractions because of their history and architecture, the quaysides are lined with eating and drinking places. In Périgord, the valley widens further to encompass one of France's main gastronomic regions, with vineyards, poultry farms and truffle-rich woodlands.

The main season for tourism in the Valley of the Dordogne is from June to September, with July and August being high season. The lifestyle and culture of the Dordogne valley attract both visitors and incomers from all over France, but also from many other countries, particularly Britain and Germany.

Course

The Dordogne runs through six départements and 173 communes. Some of the main towns along its course, listed by département from source to mouth, are as follows: 1000 --

• Puy-de-Dôme – Le Mont-Dore (near the source of the river), La Bourboule and Saint-Sauves-d'Auvergne;
• Cantal – Lanobre and Champagnac;
• Corrèze – Bort-les-Orgues, Neuvic, Argentat and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne;
• Lot – Bétaille, Vayrac, Martel and Souillac;
• Dordogne – Saint-Cyprien, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, Lalinde, Mouleydier, Creysse, Bergerac, Prigonrieux and Gardonne;
• Gironde – Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Castillon-la-Bataille, Libourne, Fronsac, Cubzac-les-Ponts, Saint-André-de-Cubzac and Bourg.

Tributaries

Main tributaries from source to mouth:

• (R) Chavanon;
• (L) Rhue;
• (R) Diège;
• (L) Sumène;
• (R) Triouzoune;
• (L) Auze;
• (R) Luzège;
• (R) Doustre;
• (L) Maronne;
• (L) Cère;
• (L) Bave;
• (R) Sourdoire;
• (L) Ouysse;
• (L) Céou;
• (R) Vézère;
• (L) Couze;
• (R) Caudeau;
• (R) Lidoire;
• (R) Isle. N.B. : (R) = right tributary; (L) = left tributary

Activities

Aside from the usual activities such as tennis and golf available in many areas of France, there are a number of water-related activities related to the Dordogne, including:

• Fishing, an age-old pastime for the locals and for visitors;
• Canoeing and kayaking, very popular (canoes & kayaks are easy to rent);
• Boating in a Gabare (a traditional skiff peculiar to the Dordogne);
• Rafting;
• Swimming;
• Motorboating;
• Sailing;
• Rowing and sculling;
• Water skiing.

Dams

• Marèges Dam
• Dam at Bort-les-Orgues
• Barrage de l'Aigle (The Eagle Dam)
• Dam at Argentat
• Dam at Bergerac
• Dam at Chastang
• Dam at Mauzac
• Barrage de Tuilières

Footnotes

References

References

1. {{sandre
2. "UNESCO description of the Bassin de la Dordogne".
3. Pierre-Henri Billy. (2021). "Dictionnaire des noms de lieux de la France". Errance.
4. (1995). "Noms de lieux du Limousin". Bonneton.
5. (1846). "Etudes archéologiques sur les eaux thermales ou minérales de la Gaule à l'époque romaine". Leleux.
6. (July 2012). "Dordonha… L'épopée de la Rivière sauvage et mythique". Coneissença.
7. [http://www.uq.edu.au/~e2hchans/tid_bore.html Tidal bores, Mascaret, Pororoca (1). Myths, Fables and Reality !!!]