View source for Allier (river)

{{Short description|River in central France}}
{{Infobox river
| name              = Allier 
| image             = Brioude pont.JPEG 
| image_caption     = Bridge over the Allier in Brioude, Haute-Loire.
| map               = Allier.png
| map_caption       = Map of the Allier in France [http://u.osmfr.org/m/380799/]
| mapframe          = yes
| mapframe-zoom     = 5
| native_name       = {{native name|oc|Alèir}}
| name_other        = 
| source1           = [[Moure de la Gardille]], [[Margeride]]
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|44|35|23|N|3|48|04|E|format=dms|display=inline}}
| source1_location  = [[Massif Central]]
| source1_elevation = {{convert|1503|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth_location    = [[Loire]] (bec d'Allier, [[Cuffy, Cher|Cuffy]]/[[Gimouille]])
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|46|57|34|N|3|4|44|E|format=dms|display=inline}}
| mouth_elevation   = {{convert|167|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| progression       = {{RLoire}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[France]] 
| length            = {{convert|421|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
| discharge1_avg    = {{convert|140|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} 
| basin_size        = {{convert|14350|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
| extra             = 
}}

The '''Allier''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|æ|l|i|eɪ}} {{respell|AL|ee|ay}},<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Allier |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229005004/https://www.lexico.com/definition/allier |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-12-29 |title=Allier |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|US|æ|l|ˈ|j|eɪ|,_|ɑː|l|ˈ|j|eɪ}} {{respell|a(h)l|YAY}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/allier|title=Allier|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=21 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Allier|accessdate=21 August 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|alje|lang|Fr-Paris--Allier.ogg}}; {{langx|oc|Alèir}}) is a river in central France. It is a left tributary of the [[Loire]]. Its source is in the [[Massif Central]], in the [[Lozère]] department, east of [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]. It flows generally north. It joins the Loire west of the city of [[Nevers]]. It is {{convert|421|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, and has a [[drainage basin]] of {{convert|14350|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{sandre|K---0080}}</ref>

== Departments and towns ==

The Allier flows through the following departments, and along the following towns, from source to mouth:
* [[Lozère]]: [[La Bastide-Puylaurent]], [[Langogne]];
* [[Ardèche]] - the river runs along the border between this department and [[Lozère]];
* [[Haute-Loire]]: [[Monistrol-d'Allier]], [[Langeac]], [[Brioude]];
* [[Puy-de-Dôme]]: [[Brassac-les-Mines]], [[Auzat-la-Combelle]], [[Issoire]], [[Cournon-d'Auvergne]], [[Pont-du-Château]];
* [[Allier]]: [[Saint-Yorre]], [[Vichy]], [[Varennes-sur-Allier]], [[Moulins, Allier|Moulins]], [[Château-sur-Allier]];
* [[Cher (department)|Cher]]: [[Mornay-sur-Allier]];
* [[Nièvre]].

== Tributaries ==

The main tributaries of the Allier are:
* [[Chapeauroux]] (left side);
* [[Senouire]] (right side);
* [[Alagnon]] (left side);
* {{ill|Ance du Sud|fr}} (left side);
* {{ill|Couze Pavin|fr|Couze Pavin}} (left side);
* [[Veyre]] (left side);
** [[Monne]] (left side);
* [[Dore (river)|Dore]] (right side);
** [[Dolore]] (left side);
* {{Interlanguage link|Morge (Allier)|lt=Morge|fr|Morge (affluent de l'Allier)}} (left side);
* {{ill|Sichon|fr}} (right side);
* [[Sioule]] (left side).

==Ecology==
[[File:Ombres.jpg|thumb|Grayling in a sunny pool]]
The Allier is one of the rare places in southern Europe where the freshwater [[Thymallus thymallus|grayling]] (Thymallus thymallus), known in French as {{lang|fr|ombre des rivières}}, occurs in a natural habitat.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ecrr.org/pdf/3rd_confrence_abstracts/33_redeker_weyand_nusch.pdf |title=The grayling zones of rivers and their tributaries |access-date=2009-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207210350/http://www.ecrr.org/pdf/3rd_confrence_abstracts/33_redeker_weyand_nusch.pdf |archive-date=2009-02-07 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

Grayling like to live in [[shoal]]s and are sensitive to pollution. In the Allier these fish are more abundant in the stretch between [[Langogne]] and [[Brioude]]. They are economically important, being appreciated for food and fished for sport.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Allier at Coudes.jpg|[[Coudes]], Puy-de-Dôme.
Rivière Allier depuis l'ouest du pont de l'Europe (Vichy) 2022-07-14.JPG|Vichy, Allier.
Moulins-bruecke-vom-allier.JPG|{{ill|Pont Régemortes|fr|Pont Régemortes}} in Moulins, Allier.
Allier Pont Canal LeGuétin.jpg|The bridge {{ill|Le Guétin|fr|Pont-canal du Guétin}}.
</gallery>

==References==
{{Commons category|Allier River}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Allier (river)|Allier River}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of France]]
[[Category:Allier basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Allier]]
[[Category:Rivers of Ardèche]]
[[Category:Rivers of Cher (department)]]
[[Category:Rivers of Haute-Loire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lozère]]
[[Category:Rivers of Nièvre]]
[[Category:Rivers of Puy-de-Dôme]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté]]
[[Category:Rivers of Centre-Val de Loire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]
[[Category:Rivers of Occitania (administrative region)]]


{{AuvergneRhôneAlpes-geo-stub}}
{{Burgundy-geo-stub}}
{{Centre-geo-stub}}
{{Occitanie-geo-stub}}
{{France-river-stub}}