The Ariège (; ; ) is a river in southern France and Andorra. It is a right bank tributary of the Garonne. From its source in the Pyrenees near El Pas de la Casa, the river flows north for about and drains approximately of basin area. The river is managed by the authority of the Agence de l’eau Adour-Garonne, to preserve the water quality, and has several dams for hydropower generation.
Course
The river emerges at the base of Puy-Nègre in the Pyrenees that divide the Southern France from Andorra. It flows northwards for } and joins the Garonne on its right bank in Portet-sur-Garonne, south of Toulouse. It has several tributaries, the longest of which are the Hers-Vif and the Lèze..
Hydrology
The river has a watershed region that extends from Portet to the Pyrenees, covering . The flow is about measured at Foix and increases downstream. Cold snowmelt and rainfall in spring causes increased flow with flood risk during autumn's heavy rains, and low flows in summer and winter. The river has several hydroelectric dams on it.