Aude (river)
The Aude is a river of southern French. It starts in the Pyrenees mountains and ends in the Mediterranean Sea. The Aude department is named after this river.
In Roman times, the Aude was called Atax by the Romans. In all likelihood the current name comes from gradual changes of Atax, a word borrowed from the Celtic atacos meaning" spirited" or" very fast"
Geography
The Aude has a length of, and a drainage basin with an area of approximately.
Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 41. 40 cubic metres per second at Moussan.
Course
The Aude starts in the Massif of Carlit at the Lac d' Aude at an elevation of in the commune of Les Angles (Pyrenees-Orientales department).
From the Pyrenees to Carcassonne, the river flows generally from south to north and then turns to the east. The river then flows into the Mediterranean Sea a few kilometres from Narbonne at Grau de Vendres (near Cabanes-de-Fleury) on the border between the departments of Aude and Herault.
The Aude flows through 1 region, 4 departments and 75 communes. The main communes are:
Occitanie region
Ariege: Rouze
Pyrenees-Orientales: Matemale, Formigueres
Aude: Axat, Quillan, Couiza, Limoux, Carcassonne, Trebes, Narbonne, Coursan
Herault: Olonzac, Lespignan, Vendres
Main tributaries
The main tributaries (30 km or more long) of the Aude river are:
Left tributaries
Rebenty - 33. 6 km;
Sou - 29. 5 km;
Fresquel - 63 km;
Orbiel - 40. 9 km;
Argent-Double - 37. 4 km;
Cesse - 53. 5 km;
Right tributaries
Lauquet - 36. 6 km;
Orbieu - 84. 1 km;
Gallery
Related pages
List of rivers of France
References
Other websites
Banque Hydro - Station Y1612020 - L' Aude a Moussan
Rivers of Occitanie