Seine River

Seine River Latest News

After more than a century, swimmers returned to the River Seine on Saturday, marking the first official reopening of the iconic waterway for public bathing since 1923.

About  Seine River

• It is France’s second-longest river after the Loire, covering a distance of 775 kilometers. 
• This river has a drainage basin, known as the Paris Basin, of approximately 79,000 sq.km. and drains mainly northern France. 
• Course:
  • It rises 446 meters above sea level in the wine-making region of Burgundy, near the town of Dijon.
  • As the Seine approaches Paris, it is joined by the Marne, one of its largest tributaries, on the right bank.
  • It flows through Paris for about 13 kilometers from west to east.
  • It finally empties into the English Channel, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean separating northern France and southern England. 
• The river’s course consists of 5 sections. 
  • From its source to Montereau-Fault-Yonne, it’s known as the Small Seine (Petite Seine). 
  • From there to Paris, it’s the Upper Seine (Haute Seine). 
  • Passing through Paris, it’s the Paris waterway (Traversée de Paris). 
  • From Paris to Rouen, it’s called the Lower Seine (Basse Seine). 
  • As it finally makes its way to the English Channel and its estuary at Honfleur and Le Havre, it’s known as the Maritime Seine (Seine-Maritime).
• Most of the river basin is formed of permeable rocks, the absorptive capacity of which mitigates the risk of river floods.
• The basin receives modest annual precipitation ranging from 650 to 750 millimeters.
• About 62% of the basin is used for agriculture; the basin hosts 25% of the French agricultural activity and 25-30% of the national industrial activity.
• It is one of Europe’s great historic rivers, and its drainage network carries most of the French inland waterway traffic.

Source: TOI

‹ ›