| Segre | |
|---|---|
The Segre in Lleida |
|
| Origin | Pyrenees |
| Mouth | Ebro |
| Basin countries | Spain, France, Andorra |
| Source elevation | 2400 m |
The Segre (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈseɣɾə], locally: [ˈseɣɾe]; French: Sègre) is a river tributary to the Ebro (Ebre in Catalan) with a basin comprising territories across three states: France, Andorra and Spain.
The river Segre, known to Romans and Greeks as Sicoris, and to the Arabs of Al-Andalus as Nahr az-Zaytūn (نهر الزيتون - River of Olives) [1] has its sources on the north face of the Pic del Segre or Puigmal de Segre ("Segre's Peak") in the French department Pyrénées-Orientales (historically the comarca of Alta Cerdanya), in the Catalan Pyrenees.[2] It follows a western direction all along the Cerdanya (Cerdagne) Valley, and crosses the town Saillagouse, the Spanish exclave Llívia and Bourg-Madame.
It enters Spain at Puigcerdà and continues west until La Seu d'Urgell, where it meets the Valira River coming from Andorra. From this point it adopts a south-western course across the pre-Pyrenees (with several dams along its gorges) and the western plains of Catalonia. It passes through Balaguer, Lleida and flows into the Ebro at Mequinenza.
Among its tributaries: Valira (from Andorra), Noguera Pallaresa, Noguera Ribagorzana, Cinca.
Contents |
The river Segre is an essential feature of the Lleida's geography, dividing the city in two. During the city's history several floods have occurred, the last one being in the late 1970s. There's also a dam on the river, near the natural park La Mitjana. Another park, Els Camps Elisis, is located immediately next to the Segre. [3]
It is crossed in the city of Lleida by a number of bridges, namely: Pont Vell, Pont del Ferrocarril, Pont Nou, Pont de la Universitat, Pont de Pardinyes, Pont de Príncep de Viana, Passarel·la de Ruefa, Passarel·la dels Maristes, Passarel·la d'Onze de Setembre, Passarel·la de Pardinyes and Passarel·la del Liceu Escolar.