Orne River (Lorraine)
Encyclopedia
The Orne is a river in Lorraine
, north-eastern France
, which is a left tributary of the Moselle
and sub-tributary of the Rhine. Its source is in the hills northeast of Verdun
. It flows east and joins the Moselle near Mondelange
, between Metz
and Thionville
.
), or onna (a river) as mentioned in Endlicher's glossary of Gallic names De nominibus Gallicis, in which these words are translated into Latin as flumen.
If so, then there is no relationship with the name of the Orne river in Normandy
, which is referred to as the Olina by Ptolemy
, a homonym of Fluvius Olne, the Orne saosnoise in Sarthe, which Xavier Delamarre traces back to the Celtic olīnā (elbow).
It rises at an altitude of 320 m in d'altitude in the Côtes de Meuse, in the commune of Ornes
. It flows through Étain, Conflans-en-Jarnisy
, Auboué
, Homécourt
, Jœuf
, Moyeuvre-Grande
, Rosselange
, Rombas
, Clouange
, Vitry-sur-Orne
, Gandrange
and Richemont
, where it joins the Moselle at an altitude of 155 m.
The Orne is also fed by water pumped out of the mines
at Jarny
, Giraumont
, Auboué and Orne-Roncourt
.
, located in the Moselle department a short way upstream of the confluence. The watershed of the Orne at Rosselange is 1,226 km, almost its entire watershed of 1,268 km.
The mean annual flow rate, or discharge
of the river at Rosselange is 12.6 m/s.
The Orne exhibits strongly marked seasonal fluctuations, such as are very often found in the east of France, with high water in winter/spring bringing the monthly average up to between 20.2 and 26.9 m/s from December to March inclusive, with a maximum in February. Summer low waters are quite prolonged, from June to early October, with a low monthly average of 2.81 m/s in September. These monthly figures, however, are just averages, and conceal even more pronounced short-term variation.
Monthly average flow rate in m/s measured at Rosselange hydrological station
Data taken over a 41 year period
At low water, the 3-year low instantaneous flow rate can drop to 0.56 m/s, as is seen frequently for rivers of the region.
Flooding of the Orne can be very significant. The maximum instananeous flow rate ever recorded was 318 m/s on 22 December 2003, while the maximum recorded daily average was 292 m/s on the preceding day. The Orne's instantaneous maximum flow rate for 2 and 5 years (IMFR2 and IMFR5) are 170 and 230 m/s respectively; the IMFR10 is 280 m/s, the IMFR20 is 320 m/s, and the IMFR50 is 370 m/s. These figures indicate that the flood of December 2003 was, roughly speaking, a twenty-year event and thus not particularly unusual. The Orne's IMFRs are over half that of the Meurthe, the Moselle's most significant French tributary and whose basin is almost 2.5 time larger.
To compare with a significant river in the Paris basin, the Loing
, a river known for its substantial flooding, has an IMFR10 of 190 m/s as against 280 m/s for the Orne, and its IMFR50 reaches only 270 m/s as against 370 m/s for the Orne. This is despite the Loing's watershed being three and a half times larger than the Orne.
The Orne is fed by heavy rainfall in the western part of its watershed. The runoff curve number in its watershed is 326 mm annually, which is almost equal to the average of all France, but clearly less than the average in the French part of the Moselle basin (445 mm at Hauconcourt). The specific flow rate reaches 10.3 litres per second per square kilometre of watershed.
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
, north-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...
, which is a left tributary of the Moselle
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
and sub-tributary of the Rhine. Its source is in the hills northeast of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
. It flows east and joins the Moselle near Mondelange
Mondelange
Mondelange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, between Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
and Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
.
Name
"Orne" may originate from autura (a river, cf. EureEure
Eure is a department in the north of France named after the river Eure.- History :Eure is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
), or onna (a river) as mentioned in Endlicher's glossary of Gallic names De nominibus Gallicis, in which these words are translated into Latin as flumen.
If so, then there is no relationship with the name of the Orne river in Normandy
Orne River
The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées...
, which is referred to as the Olina by Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, a homonym of Fluvius Olne, the Orne saosnoise in Sarthe, which Xavier Delamarre traces back to the Celtic olīnā (elbow).
Geography
The length of the Orne is 85.8 km.It rises at an altitude of 320 m in d'altitude in the Côtes de Meuse, in the commune of Ornes
Ornes
Ornes is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The village is one of the nine French villages destroyed in the First World War and one of six that was never rebuilt...
. It flows through Étain, Conflans-en-Jarnisy
Conflans-en-Jarnisy
Conflans-en-Jarnisy is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
, Auboué
Auboué
Auboué is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
, Homécourt
Homécourt
Homécourt is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
, Jœuf
Jœuf
Jœuf is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-People:It is the birthplace of footballer Michel Platini.*Eric Occansey, basketball player-External links:*...
, Moyeuvre-Grande
Moyeuvre-Grande
Moyeuvre-Grande is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.Since 1986 Moyeuvre-Grande has been twinned with Snodland, a town of similar size, located in Kent, England.-Personalities:...
, Rosselange
Rosselange
Rosselange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, Rombas
Rombas
Rombas is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-Geography:Rombas is located in the lower Orne Valley, near Metz, Nancy and Luxembourg.-History:...
, Clouange
Clouange
Clouange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, Vitry-sur-Orne
Vitry-sur-Orne
Vitry-sur-Orne is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department...
, Gandrange
Gandrange
Gandrange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
and Richemont
Richemont, Moselle
Richemont is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in northeast France.The population is 20,043 as of January 2010....
, where it joins the Moselle at an altitude of 155 m.
Tributaries
The Orne's principal tributaries and subtributaries are:
|
|
The Orne is also fed by water pumped out of the mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
at Jarny
Jarny
Jarny is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France....
, Giraumont
Giraumont, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Giraumont is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
, Auboué and Orne-Roncourt
Roncourt
Roncourt is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
.
Hydrology
The Orne is a substantial river, similar to its neighbours in the West Lorraine region which rise in the Côtes de Meuse.Flow rates of the Orne at Rosselange
The Orne's flow rate has been measured over a period of 40 years (1967–2007) at RosselangeRosselange
Rosselange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, located in the Moselle department a short way upstream of the confluence. The watershed of the Orne at Rosselange is 1,226 km, almost its entire watershed of 1,268 km.
The mean annual flow rate, or discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
of the river at Rosselange is 12.6 m/s.
The Orne exhibits strongly marked seasonal fluctuations, such as are very often found in the east of France, with high water in winter/spring bringing the monthly average up to between 20.2 and 26.9 m/s from December to March inclusive, with a maximum in February. Summer low waters are quite prolonged, from June to early October, with a low monthly average of 2.81 m/s in September. These monthly figures, however, are just averages, and conceal even more pronounced short-term variation.
Monthly average flow rate in m/s measured at Rosselange hydrological station
Data taken over a 41 year period
At low water, the 3-year low instantaneous flow rate can drop to 0.56 m/s, as is seen frequently for rivers of the region.
Flooding of the Orne can be very significant. The maximum instananeous flow rate ever recorded was 318 m/s on 22 December 2003, while the maximum recorded daily average was 292 m/s on the preceding day. The Orne's instantaneous maximum flow rate for 2 and 5 years (IMFR2 and IMFR5) are 170 and 230 m/s respectively; the IMFR10 is 280 m/s, the IMFR20 is 320 m/s, and the IMFR50 is 370 m/s. These figures indicate that the flood of December 2003 was, roughly speaking, a twenty-year event and thus not particularly unusual. The Orne's IMFRs are over half that of the Meurthe, the Moselle's most significant French tributary and whose basin is almost 2.5 time larger.
To compare with a significant river in the Paris basin, the Loing
Loing
The Loing is a 142 km long river in central France, a left tributary of the Seine. Its source is in Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing, in the south of the Yonne département.The Loing flows into the Seine in Saint-Mammès, near Moret-sur-Loing...
, a river known for its substantial flooding, has an IMFR10 of 190 m/s as against 280 m/s for the Orne, and its IMFR50 reaches only 270 m/s as against 370 m/s for the Orne. This is despite the Loing's watershed being three and a half times larger than the Orne.
The Orne is fed by heavy rainfall in the western part of its watershed. The runoff curve number in its watershed is 326 mm annually, which is almost equal to the average of all France, but clearly less than the average in the French part of the Moselle basin (445 mm at Hauconcourt). The specific flow rate reaches 10.3 litres per second per square kilometre of watershed.
Flow rates of members of the Orne basin
| Name | Location | Flow rates in m/s | Côte max(m) |
Max. instant. |
Max. daily. |
Runoff curve no. (mm) |
Surface (km) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discharge | VCN3 (low w.) |
IMFR2 | IMFR5 | IMFR10 | IMFR20 | IMFR50 | |||||||
| Ruisseau de Vaux | Morgemoulin Morgemoulin Morgemoulin is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.The village's name comes from the mill belonging to the family "Morge" in 1610. It was destroyed during the 1914-1918 war and rebuilt.... |
0.417 | 0.011 | 9.1 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 1.74 | 14.8 | 10.2 | 312 | 42 |
| Orne | Boncourt Boncourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle Boncourt is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department... |
3.73 | 0.030 | 59 | 84 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 4.59 | 125 | 99.7 | 286 | 412 |
| Yron | Jarny Jarny Jarny is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.... |
4.01 | 0.130 | 82 | 120 | 140 | 170 | 200 | 3.53 | 169 | 139 | 332 | 383 |
| \-> Longeau (rivière)>Longeau | Jarny Jarny Jarny is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.... |
2.17 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 320 | 214 |
| Woigot | Briey Briey Briey is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is located above and in a steep section of the valley of the little River Woigot, some thirty kilometres to the west of the autoroute that connects Metz with Luxembourg... |
1.25 | 0.067 | 16 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 2.67 | 56.2 | 23.1 | 522 | 76 |
| Orne | Rosselange Rosselange Rosselange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.... |
12.6 | 0.560 | 170 | 230 | 270 | 320 | 370 | 3.98 | 318 | 292 | 326 | 1,226 |