Hers-Vif
The Hers - Vif in Bélesta
High water at Bélesta
The Hers - Vif (or Grand Hers ) is a river in France, which runs into the regions of Midi -Pyrénées and Languedoc- Roussillon. It rises in the Pyrenees, near the Col du Chioula, in the municipality of Prades. It drains first in many changes of direction generally north- to northeast through the Pays d' Aillou and leaves the plateau through the Gorges de la Frau. In its middle reaches it orbits in the east of Lac de Montbel, then turns to the northwest and flows after 135 kilometers in the municipality of Cintegabelle as a right tributary in the Ariège. The Hers - Vif crosses on his way the departments of Ariège, Aude and Haute -Garonne.
Places on the river
- Prades
- Fougax et Barrineuf
- Bélesta
- L' Aiguillon
- La Bastide- sur -l'Hers
- Sainte- Colombe- sur -l'Hers
- Chalabre
- Mirepoix
- Rieucros
- Belpech
- Mazères
- Calmont
Hydrology
The Grand Hers is known as vif, which in this context means as much as lively, fast or intense. In the summer and fall months, the river has an average discharge of 3-4 m³ / s But in the winter months and in spring it always comes back to spectacular flooding as on June 16, 1289 almost completely destroyed as a tidal wave of Hers - Vif, after the rupture of a natural dam on Blue Creek, the town of Mirepoix.
Some more examples:
- On 23 June 1875 at the level Mazères a flow rate of 1500 m³ / s
- On 6 February 1919 at the level Mazères a flow rate of 600-800 m³ / s
- On 19 May 1977 at the level Mazères a flow rate of 1070 m³ / s
- On 16 January 1981 at the level Mazères a flow rate of 1100 m³ / s
- On 11 June 2000 at the level Mazères a flow rate of 500 m³ / s
- On 24 January 2004, at the level Mazères a flow rate of 500 m³ / s
Attractions
- The valley of the Hers - Vif is registered as a Natura 2000 site under the code FR7301822.
- Shortly before Bélesta feeds the intermittent karst spring Fontaine de Fontestorbes the river.