Vilaine
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| Vilaine | |
|---|---|
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| Origin | Brittany |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Basin countries | France |
| Length | 225 km |
| Source elevation | 153 m |
| Avg. discharge | 80 m³/s |
| Basin area | 10,882 km² |
The Vilaine (Breton: Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne département (53), and flows out in the Atlantic Ocean at Tréhiguier in the Morbihan département (56). It is 225 km long. The river is joined to the Rance by means of the Ille-Rance Canal by the commune of Évran.
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[edit] Course of the river
The river passes through 4 départements (Mayenne, Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan) and 4 main towns (Rennes, Vitré, Redon and La Roche-Bernard).
Three barrages were built around Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine to avoid floods, the drinkable water and leisure spaces:
[edit] Hydrology
The river has a flow ranging between 2 and 1500 m3/s
[edit] Navigation
The Vilaine is part of Brittany's canal system. The section from Rennes to the Atlantic Ocean is navigable for smaller craft. In Rennes the river connects to the Canal d'Ille et Rance, in Redon it crosses the Canal de Nantes à Brest. (Source: NoorderSoft Waterways Database)
