View source for Creuse (river)

{{Short description|River in France}}
{{For|the river in Quebec, Canada|Creuse River (Petite rivière du Chêne)}}
{{Infobox river
| name              = Creuse
| native_name       ={{native name|fr|La Creuse}}
| image             = Argenton-sur-Creuse (36) - Rivière.jpg
| image_caption     = La Creuse in [[Argenton-sur-Creuse]]
| map               = Creuse.png
| source1_location  = [[Plateau de Millevaches]] 
| mouth_location    = [[Vienne (river)|Vienne]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|47|0|22|N|0|34|7|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| progression       = {{RVienne}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[France]]
| length            = {{convert|263|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|932|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg    = {{convert|81|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| basin_size        = {{convert|9570|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
}}
The '''Creuse''' ({{IPA|fr|kʁøz|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-Creuse.wav}}; {{langx|oc|Cruesa}}) is a {{convert|263|km|mi|adj=on}} long river in western France, a tributary of the [[Vienne (river)|Vienne]].<ref name=sandre>{{sandre|id=L---0070|nom=La Creuse}}</ref> Its source is in the [[Plateau de Millevaches]], a north-western extension of the [[Massif Central]].

==Course==
The Creuse flows northwest through the following [[Departments of France|department]]s and towns:

* [[Creuse]] department (named after the river): [[Aubusson, Creuse|Aubusson]].
* [[Indre]] department: [[Argenton-sur-Creuse]], [[Le Blanc]].
* [[Indre-et-Loire]] department : [[Yzeures-sur-Creuse]], [[Descartes, Indre-et-Loire|Descartes]]
* [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] department: [[La Roche-Posay]]

The Creuse flows into the [[Vienne (river)|Vienne]] about {{convert|20|km|mi}} north of [[Châtellerault]]. It receives its longest tributary, the [[Gartempe]], in La Roche-Posay.

The Creuse valley is the setting for paintings by the so-called [[Crozant School]], including works by [[Armand Guillaumin]] and a series of vivid landscapes by the Bordeaux artist [[Alfred Smith (artist)|Alfred Smith]].<ref name=McCullough2005>{{cite book
 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V9hntB4BJzIC&pg=PA156
 |chapter=Alfred Smith
 |pages=156–157
 |title=Telfair Museum of Art: collection highlights
 |editor=Hollis Koons McCullough
 |publisher=University of Georgia Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-933075-04-9}}</ref>

==Dams and lakes==
[[File:Creuse dams.jpg|thumb|right|Diagram of the Creuse Dams]]
There are six hydroelectric dams on the river. Three are in the [[Creuse]] département with one at [[Chambon-Sainte-Croix]] above [[Anzême]], one at Les Chezelles near [[Le Bourg-d'Hem]] and one at L'Âge upstream of [[La Celle-Dunoise]]. The remaining three are in the [[Indre]] including the [[Éguzon Dam]] which was opened in 1926 and was, at the time, the largest dam in Europe.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} The lakes created by the dams are popular tourist destinations and several have artificial beaches and leisure facilities.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

==Main tributaries==
{{col-begin|width=50%}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
Left bank:
* Beauze
* [[Sédelle]]
* [[Gartempe]]
{{col-break|width=50%}}
Right bank:
* Rozeille
* [[Petite Creuse]]
* [[Bouzanne]]
* Bouzanteuil
* Suin
* [[Claise]]
* Esves
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|Creuse river}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Centre-Val de Loire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Creuse]]
[[Category:Rivers of France]]
[[Category:Rivers of Indre]]
[[Category:Rivers of Indre-et-Loire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]
[[Category:Rivers of Vienne (department)]]


{{Centre-geo-stub}}
{{Limousin-geo-stub}}
{{Poitou-geo-stub}}
{{France-river-stub}}