Ariège (river)

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title: "Ariège (river)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-france", "rivers-of-andorra", "international-rivers-of-europe", "rivers-of-ariège-(department)", "rivers-of-haute-garonne", "andorra–france-border", "rivers-of-occitania-(administrative-region)", "border-rivers"] description: "River in France and Andorra" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariège_(river)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in France and Andorra ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Ariège
image	N20-ariège2.jpg
image_caption	The Ariège near Ax-les-Thermes
map	Ariège.png
source1_location	Pyrenees
mouth_location	Garonne
mouth_coordinates
progression
subdivision_type1	Countries
subdivision_name1
length	163 km
source1_elevation	± 2400 m
discharge1_avg	65 m3/s
basin_size	3,860 km2
::

| name = Ariège | image = N20-ariège2.jpg | image_caption = The Ariège near Ax-les-Thermes | map = Ariège.png | source1_location = Pyrenees | mouth_location = Garonne | mouth_coordinates = | progression = | subdivision_type1 = Countries | subdivision_name1 = | length = 163 km | source1_elevation = ± 2400 m | discharge1_avg = 65 m3/s | basin_size = 3,860 km2 The Ariège (; ; ) is a river in southern France and Andorra. It is a right tributary of the Garonne. From its source in the Pyrenees near El Pas de la Casa, the river flows north, forming part of the French border with Andorra. It flows for about 163 km and drains approximately 4200 km2 of mainly mountainous terrain. The river is managed by the authority of the Agence de l’eau Adour-Garonne, to preserve the water quality, ensure ecological continuity, and regulate hydropower use.

Course

The river emerges at the base of Puy-Nègre in the Pyrenees at an altitude of 2400 m in Southern France near the Andorran border. It flows northwards through Ax-les-Thermes, Foix, Pamiers, Cintegabelle. It flows into the Garonne in Portet-sur-Garonne, south of Toulouse. Its longest tributaries are the Hers-Vif and the Lèze.

Hydrology

The river has a watershed region that extends from Portet to the Pyrenees, covering 4200 km2. The flow is about 40 m/s measured downstream at Foix and increases downstream. Cold snowmelt and rainfall in spring causes increased flow with flood risk during autumn's heavy rains, and low flows in summer and winter. The river supports migratory and mountain fish species. The river is managed by the authority of the Agence de l’eau Adour-Garonne, to preserve the water quality, ensure ecological continuity, and regulate hydropower use. Kayaking, fly-fishing, and mountain tourism are popular with water regulation preserving flow levels for recreation.

References

References

1. "Ariege". Sénat rapport Andorre‑France.
2. "Coursdeau". Agence de l’eau Adour‑Garonne.
3. {{sandre
4. "État écologique & objectifs SDAGE 2022–2027". Agence de l’eau Adour‑Garonne.
5. "Barrage, débit réservé et continuité écologique". Sénat rapport Andorre‑France.
6. "Loisirs liés à la qualité de l’eau". Agence de l’eau Adour‑Garonne.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::