The VAr (in Occitan: VAr according to the traditional standard and the Norme mistralienne) is a Fleuve south-east of the France whose name means river in ligure language (language of old the Ligures). Its source is located at Estenc, a hamlet of the village of Entraunes located at an altitude of 1  800 meters, close to the Collar of Cayolle (2  327 m) in the the Alpes-Maritimes and its course of 120 kilometers are completed in the Mediterranean between Nice and Saint-Laurent-of-VAr. The VAr formed, before the fastening of the Comté of Nice in 1860, the Eastern border of France on the Mediterranean and thus gave its name to the department bordering. After fastening, a new department of the the Alpes-Maritimes was created (there had been some under the Revolution and the Empire) including the river and cutting the department of the VAr of the origin of its name. The VAr runs now almost entirely in the Alpes-Maritimes except for a short incursion into the Alp-of-High-Provence with Entrevaux.

One notices, on the Triumphal arch of the Star to Paris the mentions the VAr (Bataille of the VAr) and Armée with the VAr in remembering the battle the Guerres the Revolution and the armed with the French revolution.

Hydrography

The VAr receives the contributions of 5 principal affluents:

• left bank:
• the Cians (25 km) with the place known as of Bridge-of-Cians (downstream from Puget-Théniers),
• the Tinée (75 km) in the throats of the Mescla and
• the Vésubie (48 km) on the level of Plan-of-VAr;
• Right Bank:
• the Coulomp (with the Bridge of Gueydan)
• the Estéron on the level of Saint-Martin-of-VAr (64 km).

It receives many secondary affluents in addition: Tuébi (with Rabbets), Chalvagne (with Entrevaux), the Roudoule (with Puget-Théniers).

The level of the river is usually low, 50 to 100 m ³ /s in general, but it is famous for its Crue S sudden and important, its flow goes up then in a few hours to 1  000 m ³ /s, reached 3  500 m ³ /s in centennial Rising and until 5  000 m ³ /s in Raw millennale. Its last important rising took place the November 5th 1994.

Hydrology

The VAr is a small extremely abundant river, like all the rivers resulting from the Alpine areas. Its flow was observed over one 34 years period (1974-2007), with Nice, the bridge Napoleon III whole close to his mouth in the sea. The catchment area of the river is there of 2  820 km ², i.e. its totality.

Interannual medium flow or module of the river in Nice east of 49,4 m ³ a second.

The VAr presents typical seasonal fluctuations of a mode to dominant nival. One indeed distinguishes two periods there from rising. The high waters of autumn carry the average monthly flow on a level located between 61 and 66 m ³ a second, in October - November (maximum in October) and are followed of a fall of flow to the surroundings of 40 m ³ a second in February. A second rise of the mode follows then leading to a second top - most important - in May (74,5 m ³). It is due to the snow melt. Consequently of June, starts fall followed of low waters of summer which leads the medium flow to its low water level of August with a monthly average of 25,9 m ³ a second, which remains very comfortable, it is true. On the whole, the seasonal oscillations appear important thus very little, but the fluctuations are much more marked over short periods.

With the low water level, the VCN3 can fall until 8,9 m ³, in the event of dry period quinquennial, which remains high in comparison with the average of the rivers of France. Let us recall that the VCN3 is the past minimal quantity or minimal flow over three days consecutive.

As for the risings, they can be very important. The QIX 2 or calculated flow of biennial rising and QIX 5 (calculated flow of quinquennial rising) are worth 810 and 1  respectively; 400 m ³. The QIX 10 or calculated flow of decennial rising is of 1  700 m ³ a second and the QIX 20 of 2  100 m ³. As for the QIX 50 or computed value of the flow of raw cinquantennale, it was not calculated. (see note). That means that, for example, every two years one must expect a rising of about 810 cubic meters, and that every five years, a rising of 1  400 cubic meters must occur, statistically at least.

To have an idea of the importance of these flows, one can compare them with those of the the Seine in Alfortville, before his confluence with the Marne. The QIX 5 of the Seine is worth 1  000 m ³ (against 1  400 for the VAr) and its QIX 20 is assembled to 1  400 m ³ (either much less than the 2  100 of the VAr). Thus the risings of the VAr are definitely higher than those of the Seine at the entry of Paris (see also Débit from the Seine in Paris).

The recorded maximum instantaneous flow was of 3  770 m ³ a second on November 5th, 1994, while the value maximum day laborer was of 1  460 m ³ a second the same day. By comparing the first of these values with the scale of the QIX of the river, it appears that these believed were much more important than the awaited vicennial risings, and undoubtedly very exceptional.

On the whole, the VAr is an abundant river, supplied with such abundant precipitations they, in the area of the Alps above all. The Lame of water past in its catchment area is of 553 millimetres annually, which is high, largely higher than the average overall of France, and only lower than certain zones of the Pyrenees, the Alps of north, at the Cevennes and some other tops of the French Massif Central, with the the Vosges and the the Jura. The specific Flow of the river (or Qsp) reached the figure of 17,5 liters a second and per square kilometer of basin.