Drac River
Encyclopedia
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:
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 valve
s of the dam. They were there to see beaver
s, but died.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in southeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, left tributary of the Isère
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
. 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
Massif des Écrins
The mountains of the Massif des Écrins form the core of the Écrins National Park in France.-Mountains:*Barre des Écrins 4102 m*La Meije 3983 m*Ailefroide 3954 m*Mont Pelvoux 3946 m*Pic Sans Nom 3913 m*Pic Gaspard 3883 m*Le Râteau 3809 m...
. It flows through several reservoirs
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, including the Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet is an artificial water reservoir for the Électricité de France power station on the Drac River. It belongs to the department of Isère. It is bounded by the canyons of the Drac and Ebron....
. It flows into the Isère
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
near Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
. Its major tributary is the Romanche
Romanche
The Romanche is a 78 km long mountain river in southeastern France, right tributary of the Drac . Its source is in the northern part of the Massif des Écrins, Dauphiné Alps. It flows into the Drac in Champ-sur-Drac, south of Grenoble. The road from Grenoble to Briançon over the Col du Lautaret runs...
.
The Drac flows through the following départements and towns:
- Hautes-AlpesHautes-AlpesHautes-Alpes is a department in southeastern France named after the Alps mountain range.- History :Hautes-Alpes is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
: Saint-Bonnet-en-ChampsaurSaint-Bonnet-en-ChampsaurSaint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Geography:The commune is located at the mouth of the valley of the high Drac on the major route between Gap and Grenoble next to Écrins National Park... - IsèreIsèreIsère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
: CorpsCorps, IsèreCorps is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-Geography:Corps is situated in the Alpes mountains and borders on the frontier between the départments of Isère and Hautes-Alpes.-See also:* Our Lady of La Salette* Mélanie Calvat...
, GrenobleGrenobleGrenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
The name of Drac, originally the Drau , is due to an attraction by the occitan drac "imp", of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
dracō "Dragon". It is documented in the forms Dracum (v. 1100), Dravus (1289), the ribière dou Drau (1545). The word "Drac" means Dragon
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
. In many legends the drac Occitan is a genius of evil waters, and even a form of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, that attracts children to drown. Frédéric Mistral
Frédéric Mistral
Frédéric Mistral was a French writer and lexicographer of the Occitan language. Mistral won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1904 and was a founding member of Félibrige and a member of l'Académie de Marseille...
wrote in Félibrige Treasury:
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 valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
s of the dam. They were there to see beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s, but died.
External links
- http://www.geoportail.fr
- The Drac at the Sandre database