Vire (river)

Vire
Vire at Pont-Farcy.
Native name	La Vire
Basin
Main source	Normandy
Source elevation	300 m
River mouth	English Channel 49°21′24″N 1°7′13″W / 49.35667°N 1.12028°WCoordinates: 49°21′24″N 1°7′13″W / 49.35667°N 1.12028°W
Watershed area	1,240 km²
Countries	France
Physiognomy
Length	128 km

The Vire is a river in Normandy, France whose 128 km course crosses the départements of Calvados and Manche, flowing through the towns of Vire, Saint-Lô and Isigny-sur-Mer, finally flowing out into the English Channel. Its main tributaries are the Aure, the Elle and the Souleuvre.

The outflow of the Vire has been canalized and forms the port of Isigny-sur-Mer.

The poets of the Vire valley (Vau de Vire) are said to have given rise to vaudeville.^[1]

Places along the river:

• Calvados (14) : Vire, Pont-Farcy, Isigny-sur-Mer
• Manche (50) : Tessy-sur-Vire, Troisgots, Torigni-sur-Vire, Condé-sur-Vire, Sainte-Suzanne-sur-Vire, Saint-Lô, Rampan, Pont-Hébert, La Meauffe, Cavigny

Hydrology and water quality

The generally brownish waters of the Vire are moderately alkaline having been tested by Lumina Tech as pH 8.31. (Hogan, 2006) The river waters are relatively turbid, with a Secchi disc measurement of 12 centimetres.

Historical Significance

At the turn of the 10th century, the territorial lands of the Kingdom of Brittany had been expanded up to the Vire by their king Alan I.

References

1. Burke, James (September 2, 2003). An Invisible Object (Connections3 DVD). Ambrose Video Publishing, Inc.

• Atlas des Routes de France, Solar Press: Donnees IGN (2007)
• Hogan, C. Michael, Water quality of freshwater bodies in France, Lumina Tech Press, Aberdeen, Scotland (2006)
• http://www.geoportail.fr
• The Vire at the Sandre database