Madeleine is a river

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 eastern 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...

, in the Territoire de Belfort

Territoire de Belfort

The Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...

 département.

It begins in the Vosges mountains

Vosges mountains

For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...

, near the commune of Lamadeleine-Val-des-Anges

Lamadeleine-Val-des-Anges

Lamadeleine-Val-des-Anges is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

. 25 km downstream (340 m above sea level), it joins the river Saint-Nicolas in the village Bretagne to form the river Bourbeuse. The river Bourbeuse is a tributary to the river Allan

Allaine

The Allaine is a 65 km long river in northwestern Switzerland and eastern France. Its source is in the village Charmoille, in the Swiss Jura mountains...

, which is a tributary to the river Doubs

Doubs River

The Doubs is a 453 km long river in eastern France and western Switzerland, left tributary of the Saône. Its source is near Mouthe in the western Jura mountains....

.

The Madeleine river flows through the communes of Étueffont

Étueffont

Étueffont is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-History:The separate villages of Étueffont-Bas and Étueffont-Haut were merged into the current commune on 12 June 1973.-Geography:The town sits at the foot of the Vosges...

, Anjoutey

Anjoutey

Anjoutey is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

, Bourg-sous-Châtelet

Bourg-sous-Châtelet

Bourg-sous-Châtelet is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

, Bethonvilliers

Bethonvilliers

Bethonvilliers is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

, Lacollonge

Lacollonge

Lacollonge is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

, Fontenelle, Petit-Croix

Petit-Croix

Petit-Croix is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

 and Novillard

Novillard

Novillard is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France.-References:*...

.

The basin in that area is 45 km². It is also a fishing area. The confluence with the Saint-Nicolas is in a marshy area.