Orne (river)

Orne
The Orne in Caen
Orne (river) is located in France
Orne (river)
Orne (river) is located in Normandy
Orne (river)
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationAunou-sur-Orne
 • elevation240 m (790 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
English Channel
 • coordinates
49°16′42″N 0°13′34″W / 49.27833°N 0.22611°W / 49.27833; -0.22611
Length170 km (110 mi)
Basin size2,932 km2 (1,132 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average27.5 m3/s (970 cu ft/s)

The Orne (French: [ɔʁn] ) is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is 170 km (110 mi) long.[1] It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre.

Geography[edit]

The Orne flows through the following departments and towns:

Its longest tributaries are, from source to mouth:[1]

Name[edit]

The name of the Orne in Normandy, which is referred to as the Olinas by Ptolemy,[2] is a homonym of Fluvius Olne, the Orne saosnoise in Sarthe, which Xavier Delamarre traces back to the Celtic olīnā (elbow).

Hydrology and water quality[edit]

The waters of the Orne are typically moderately turbid and brown in colour. Its pH level has been measured at 8.5[3] at the town of St. Andre sur Orne where summer water temperatures approximate 18 °C (64 °F). Electrical conductivity of the water has been measured at 30 microsiemens per centimeter.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - L'Orne (I2--0200)".
  2. ^ Public Domain Smith, William, ed. (1857). "Olinas". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. Vol. 2. London: John Murray. p. 473–474.
  3. ^ Hogan, C Michael, Water quality of freshwater bodies in France, Lumina Press, Aberdeen 2006.

External links[edit]