Sioule

The Sioule is a French river of Auvergne, which takes its source near the Lac of Servières. It runs out initially towards north then towards the North-West from Bridge-of-Menat (near the village of Menat) before Ébreuil. It with a 150 km length. The totality of its course is in the area of the Combrailles in Auvergne: 90 km in Puy-de-Dôme and 60 km in the Department To combine it.

Geography

It passes near Orcival then crosses Pontgibaud, Olby, Châteauneuf-the-Baths, Ébreuil, Saint-Pourçain-on-Sioule. It throws in the Allier shortly after this last city.

On its course between Miremont and Châteauneuf-the-Baths, Sioule feeds the Water level of Insipid-Besserve the. This water level of 70 million m ³ of water was formed following construction in 1968 of the Barrage of Insipid the (height 235 m). This stopping as that of Queuille (built between 1901 and 1904) which is located just after allow the electrical production. Slightly downstream from the Stopping of Insipid the, Sioule is dominated by the railway viaduct of Insipid the. This last a 133 m height was the holder of the world records height of the viaducts railway until in 1976. It is now the Viaduc of Mala-Rijeka to the Montenegro which holds it with 200 meters.

Principal affluents

Principal the affluent of Sioule are:

*Le Sioulot (with Olby).

*Le Sioulet (also feeds it water level of Insipid-Besserve).

*La Bouble (little before Saint-Pourçain-on-Sioule).

Hydrology

The annual medium flow of Sioule, calculated over 41 years with Saint-Pourçain-on-Sioule (of 1967 to 2007), is of 25,5 m ³ a second for a surface of basin of 2.458 km ².

The river present of the seasonal fluctuations of flow, with winter risings from 31 to 48 m ³ from December to April-May included, and the thin ones of end of be-beginning of autumn, July to October, characterized by a fall of the monthly medium flow up to 7,6 m ³ in August.

But these monthly averages hide variations over short periods, much more important.

In period of low water level, the VCN3 can fall until 1,8 m ³, in the event of dry period quinquennial, which remains rather high. Let us recall that the VCN3 is the past minimal quantity or minimal flow over three days consecutive.

The risings can be important. The QIX 10, or calculated flow of decennial rising, is of 370 m ³ a second. As for the QIX 20 and QIX 50, they are worth respectively 440 and 530 m ³ (see note). Finally for Sioule, river with important risings, the QIX 2 and the QIX 5 have their importance. They are the flows calculated for a biennial and quinquennial rising. They are worth respectively 200 and 300 m ³. However the module of the the Seine to Paris, observed with the Bridge of Austerlitz is worth about 300 m ³ a second. That thus means that statistically the flow of Sioule should reach the level of the medium flow from the Seine in Paris every five years (see the article concerning the Débit from the Seine in Paris).

The Lame of water past in the basin is of 329 millimetres annually, which is of a good average, and more or less equivalent to that of the whole of the France, all confused basins. The specific Débit (Qsp) is assembled at 10,4 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin.

Always with Saint-Pourçain-on-Sioule, the recorded maximum instantaneous flow was of 580 m ³ a second on May 1st, 1983, while the value maximum day laborer was of 449 m ³ a second on May 22nd of the same year.

Curiosities

the meander of Queuille. Impressing Meander of Sioule, located on the commune of Queuille. The meander is easily visible since the view-point of the Paradise beside the village of Queuille. The meander is filled up of water thanks to the dam Queuille just downstream.
the Castle-Rock. Castle of the end of the XIe century dominating Sioule and built by Archambaud III the Fort of the House of Bourbon. The castle is located close to the Bridge-with-Menat (Common of Menat) and made it possible to control the passage by this bridge.
the Bridge of Menat. This bridge is located on the commune of Menat. The bridge was the only passage between Ébreuil and Châteauneuf-the-Baths. Sioule was then a way of penetration between the Auvergne (historical) and the Bourbonnais.
the Viaduct of Insipid the. The most railway viaduct of France. Built between the communes of Sauret-Besserve, in north, and of the Ancizes-Comps, in the south.

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