| Varaita | |
|---|---|
Varaita near Melle (CN) |
|
| Origin | Monviso |
| Mouth | Po River near Casalgrasso |
| Basin countries | Italy |
| Length | 75 km |
| Source elevation | c. 2,500 m |
| Avg. discharge | 12 m²/s |
The Varaita (Piedmontese: Vràita; Occitan: Varacho, pronounced [vaˈratʃɔ]) is a 75 km river of the Province of Cuneo in north-west Italy. It is the first right tributary of the Po River.
The river springs at an elevation of some 2,500 m on the slopes of Monviso, in the Cottian Alps near the French border, then proceeds through the valley named after it—the Valle Varaita—where it passes through centres including Frassino, Sampeyre, Brossasco and Costigliole Saluzzo. Having entered the plains of the Po valley it joins the Po near Casalgrasso.
The regime is typical of an Alpine torrent: the flow is at its greatest in spring and in autumn while being drastically reduced during the summer. The mean discharge at its confluence with the Po is about 12 cubic metres per second.