Lot (river) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lot
Occitan: Olt
River
The Lot at Cahors
Country	France
Regions	Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Departments	Lozère, Aveyron, Cantal, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne
Communes	Mende, Cahors, Fumel, Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Tributaries
- left	Bramont, Dourdou de Conques, Riou Mort, Diège, Boudouyssou
- right	Colagne, Truyère, Célé, Thèze, Lémance, Lède
Cities	Cahors, Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Source	Cévennes
- location	Le Bleymard, Massif Central, France
- elevation	1,272 m (4,173 ft)
- coordinates	44°30′50″N 3°46′47″E / 44.51389°N 3.77972°E / 44.51389; 3.77972
Mouth	Garonne
- location	Aiguillon, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
- elevation	23 m (75 ft)
- coordinates	44°18′52″N 0°20′04″E / 44.31444°N 0.33444°E / 44.31444; 0.33444
Length	485 km (301 mi)
Basin	11,400 km² (4,402 sq mi)
Discharge	for Villeneuve-sur-Lot
- average	155 m³/s (5,474 cu ft/s)

The Lot (Occitan: Olt) is a river in southern France, tributary of the Garonne river. The Lot department is named after this river.

Geography

The Lot river has a length of 290.7 km (180.6 mi) and a drainage basin with an area of 11,400 km² (4,402 sq mi).

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 155 cubic metres per second at Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

Course

The source of the Lot is on the Mont Lozère, in the Cévennes, southeastern Massif Central, in the commune of Le Bleymard, in the Lozère department, at an altitude of about 1,272 m (4,173 ft).

The Lot flows, with many meanders, to the west, in general, and passes through the following regions, departments and communes:

• Occitanie region
  • Lozère: Mende, Chanac, Banassac, La Canourgue
• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
  • Cantal: Vieillevie, Saint-Projet-de-Salers, the river is the border between Aveyron and Cantal for several kilometres to the north of Conques
• Occitanie region
  • Aveyron: Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt, Espalion, Estaing, Entraygues-sur-Truyère, Capdenac-Gare
  • Lot: Soturac, Touzac, Vire-sur-Lot, Grézels, Puy-l'Évêque, Pescadoires, Lagardelle, Bélaye, Castelfranc, Albas, Luzech, Parnac, Douelle, Cahors, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Capdenac, Cajarc, Mercuès
• Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
  • Lot-et-Garonne: Fumel, Saint-Vite, Penne-d'Agenais, Saint-Sylvestre-sur-Lot, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, Le Temple-sur-Lot, Castelmoron-sur-Lot, Granges-sur-Lot, Lafitte-sur-Lot, Clairac, Bourran, Aiguillon

The Lot river flows through 131 communes.

Finally, it flows, as a right tributary into the Garonne near Aiguillon, in the Lot-et-Garonne department, at 23 m (75 ft) of altitude.

Main tributaries

Truyère river

• Left tributaries
  • Bramont - 25.4 km;
  • Dourdou de Conques - 83.7 km;
  • Riou Mort - 23.1 km;
  • Diège - 19.1 km;
  • Boudouyssou - 31.9 km;
• Right tributaries
  • Colagne - 58.4 km;
  • Boralde de Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac - 25.1 km;
  • Boralde Flaujaguèse - 29.3 km;
  • Truyère - 167.2 km;
  • Célé - 104.4 km;
  • Thèze - 26.6 km;
  • Lémance - 34.5 km;
  • Lède - 54.1 km;

Gallery

• 

  The Lot at Tournel, Lozère

• 

  The Lot at Luzech

• 

  The Lot at Cahors

• 

  The Lot at Villeneuve-sur-Lot

Related pages

• List of rivers of France

Images for kids

• 

  Course of the river Lot (from French page), showing how it rises deep in the Massif Central

• 

  Different possibilities for bypassing the dam in Fumel, to provide continuity of navigation on the Lower Lot, are still under study

See also

In Spanish: Río Lot para niños