Editing Rhône (section)

==Course==
{{see also|Vallée du Rhône (France)}}
[[File:Rhonegletscher by Jan Schick (@janschickvlogs).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|The [[Source (river or stream)|source]] of the Rhône, at the foot of the [[Rhône Glacier]], above [[Oberwald]]]]

The Rhône begins as the [[meltwater]] of the [[Rhône Glacier]] in [[Valais]], in the [[Swiss Alps]], at an altitude of approximately {{convert|2208|m|ft}}.<ref>{{cite map|url=https://s.geo.admin.ch/67a6ef8535 |year=2013 |format=online map |title=Rhône source |publisher=Swiss Federal Office for Topography, swisstopo |map-url=http://www.toposhop.admin.ch/en/shop/products/maps/national/n50 |map=255 Sustenpass |series=National Map 1:50 000 – 78 sheets and 25 composites |edition=2015|scale=1:50 000 |cartography=Swiss Federal Office for Topography, swisstopo |location=Berne, Switzerland |language=de |isbn=978-3-302-00255-2 |access-date=2015-10-18}}</ref> From there it flows southwest through [[Gletsch]] and the Goms, the uppermost valley region of the Valais before [[Brig, Switzerland|Brig]]. In the Brig area, it receives the waters of the [[Massa (river)|Massa]] from the [[Aletsch Glacier]], the longest glacier of the Alps, and shortly after, it receives the waters of the [[Vispa]], the longest affluent in Valais. After that, it flows onward through the valley which bears its name and runs initially in a westerly direction about thirty kilometers to [[Leuk]], then southwest about fifty kilometers to [[Martigny]].

Down as far as [[Brig, Switzerland|Brig]], the Rhône is a torrent; it then becomes a great mountain river running southwest through a glacial valley. Between Brig and [[Martigny, Switzerland|Martigny]], it collects waters mostly from the valleys of the [[Pennine Alps]] to the south, whose rivers originate from the large glaciers of the massifs of [[Monte Rosa]], [[Dom (Mischabel)|Dom]], and [[Grand Combin]], but also from the steeper slopes of the [[Bernese Alps]] to the north, and the [[Mont Blanc massif]] to the west. As a result, the Rhône Valley experiences a drier climate [[Climate of Switzerland|than the rest of Switzerland]], being sheltered by the three highest ranges of the Alps, making Valais the driest and largest wine region of the country.<ref>[https://swisswine.ch/en/news/amazing-swiss-wine-regions-discover Amazing Swiss wine regions to discover], swisswine.ch. ("Valais is Switzerland's largest wine producer. It is renowned for its sunny and dry microclimate. The vineyards line the north slopes of the Rhone valley, rising up narrow, steep terraces and overlooked by snow covered peaks.")</ref>

[[File:Rhône supérieur bassin 1.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|The Rhône flowing through the valleys of the [[Swiss Alps]] and arriving into [[Lake Geneva]], in Switzerland]]
At Martigny, where it receives the waters of the [[Drance]] on its left bank, the Rhône makes a sharp turn towards the north. Heading toward [[Lake Geneva]] ({{Langx|fr|Le Léman}}), the valley narrows near [[Saint-Maurice, Switzerland|Saint-Maurice]], a feature that has long given the Rhône valley strategic importance for the control of the Alpine passes. The Rhône then marks the boundary between the [[Swiss canton|cantons]] of Valais (left bank) and [[Canton of Vaud|Vaud]] (right bank), separating two parts of the historical region of [[Chablais]]. It then enters Lake Geneva near [[Le Bouveret]], where the water flows west.

On the left (south) bank of Lake Geneva, the river Morge joins at the village of [[Saint-Gingolph]], and also marks the French-Swiss border. Westward, the [[Dranse (Haute-Savoie)|Dranse]] (unrelated to the Drance) enters the lake with its preserved [[Delta de la Dranse National Nature Reserve|delta]], and then the [[Hermance (river)|Hermance]] marks another French-Swiss border. Between the Morge and Hermance, the lake is divided by the two countries along its centreline, with the left bank in France. The remainder of the lake is Swiss, including the entire right (north) bank. Here, the tributaries are the [[Veveyse (river)|Veveyse]], the [[Venoge (river)|Venoge]], the [[Aubonne (river)|Aubonne]], the [[Morges (river)|Morges]], among other smaller rivers.

Lake Geneva ends in the [[Geneva|city of Geneva]], where the lake level is controlled by the {{Interlanguage link|Barrage_du_Seujet|lt=Le Seujet dam|fr}}. The average [[discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] from Lake Geneva is {{convert|251|m3/s|ft3/s|lk =in|sigfig= 2}}.<ref name=fiche9>{{cite web|url=https://www.ge.ch/document/12756/annexe/7|title=Fiche rivière no 9 : Le Rhône|publisher=État de Genève, Département du territoire|date=March 2001}}</ref> Below the dam, the Rhône receives the waters of the [[Arve]], fed by the [[Mont Blanc massif|Mont Blanc]] massif, with a visibly higher [[Stream load|sediment load]] and much lower temperature.

After a total of {{convert|290|km|mi}} in Switzerland, the Rhône continues west, entering France and the southern [[Jura Mountains]]. It turns toward the south, past [[Lac du Bourget|Lac de Bourget]], which the Rhône drains via the [[Canal de Savières]]. Continuing generally westward, the Rhône then receives the waters of the [[Valserine]], enters the reservoir created by the [[Génissiat Dam]], and is then joined by the [[Ain (river)|Ain]].

[[File:Rhone River SPOT 1296.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Mouth of the Rhône]]
Reaching [[Lyon]], the most populous city on its course, the Rhône receives its biggest tributary, the [[Saône]], with an average flow of {{cvt|473|m3/s|cuft/s}}, compared to the Rhône's {{cvt|600|m3/s|cuft/s}} at this point.<ref name=fiche9/> From this confluence, the Rhône follows a southward course. Along the Rhône Valley, it is joined on the right (western) bank by the rivers [[Eyrieux]], [[Ardèche (river)|Ardèche]], [[Cèze]], and [[Gardon]] coming from the [[Cévennes|Cévennes mountains]]; and on the left bank by the rivers [[Isère (river)|Isère]], (with an average discharge of {{cvt|333|m3/s|cuft/s}}),<ref name=fiche9/> [[Drôme (river)|Drôme]], [[Ouvèze]], and [[Durance]] ({{cvt|188|m3/s|cuft/s}}) from the Alps.

From Lyon, the Rhône flows south, in its large valley between the Alps and the [[Massif Central]]. At [[Arles]], the Rhône divides into two major arms forming the [[Camargue]] [[river delta|delta]], both branches flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, the delta being termed the Rhône Fan. The larger arm is called the "Grand Rhône", the smaller the "Petit Rhône". The average annual discharge at [[Beaucaire, Gard|Beaucaire]] is {{cvt|1700|m3/s|ft3/s|sigfig=2}}.<ref name=fiche9/>

===Tributaries===
The main tributaries of the Rhône are, from source to mouth:<ref name=sandre>{{sandre|id=V---0000|nom=Le Rhône}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Massa (river)|Massa]] (right)
*[[Vispa]] (left)
*[[Navizence]] (left)
*[[Sionne (river)|Sionne]] (left)
*[[Drance]] (left)
*[[Trient (river)|Trient]] (left)
*[[Venoge (river)|Venoge]] (right, Lake Geneva)
*[[Dranse (Haute-Savoie)|Dranse]] (left, Lake Geneva)
*[[Aubonne (river)|Aubonne]] (right, Lake Geneva)
*[[Hermance (river)|Hermance]] (left, Lake Geneva)
*[[Versoix (river)|Versoix]] (right, Lake Geneva)
*[[Arve]] (left)
*[[Allondon]] (right)
*[[Valserine]] (right)
*[[Fier (river)|Fier]] (left)
*[[Guiers]] (left)
*[[Bourbre]] (left)
*[[Ain (river)|Ain]] (right)
*[[Saône]] (right)
*[[Gier (river)|Gier]] (right)
*[[Gère]] (left)
*[[Galaure]] (left)
*[[Doux (river)|Doux]] (right)
*[[Isère (river)|Isère]] (left)
*[[Eyrieux]] (right)
*[[Drôme (river)|Drôme]] (left)
*[[Ardèche (river)|Ardèche]] (right)
*[[Cèze]] (right)
*[[Aigues]] (left)
*[[Ouvèze]] (left)
*[[Durance]] (left)
*[[Gardon]] (right)
{{div col end}}