| Drac | |
|---|---|
Confluence of the Drac with the Isère in Grenoble |
|
| Origin | Massif des Écrins |
| Mouth | Isère |
| Basin countries | France |
| Length | 130 km |
| Avg. discharge | 58 m³/s |
| Basin area | 3,350 km² |
The Drac is a 130 km long river in southeastern France, left tributary of the Isère. It is formed by the confluence of the Drac Noir and the Drac Blanc, that both rise in the southern part of the Massif des Écrins. It flows through several reservoirs, including the Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet. It flows into the Isère near Grenoble. Its major tributary is the Romanche.
The Drac flows through the following départements and towns:
The name of Drac, originally the Drau , is due to an attraction by the occitan drac "imp", of Latin dracō "Dragon". It is documented in the forms Dracum (v. 1100), Dravus (1289), the ribière dou Drau (1545). The word "Drac" means Dragon. In many legends the drac Occitan is a genius of evil waters, and even a form of Satan, that attracts children to drown. Frédéric Mistral wrote in Félibrige Treasury:[1]
| “ | Drac of the Rhone was a winged monster and amphibian which carried on the body of a reptile the shoulders and the head of a beautiful young man. He lived the bottom of the river where he tried to attract, to devour it, the imprudent ones gained by the softness of its voice. | ” |
In December 1995, six children and their teacher were drawn into the river after the level of water rose due to the opening of the valves of the dam. They were there to see beavers, but died.[2]