Oudon (river)

The Oudon (French pronunciation: [udɔ̃] ^ⓘ) is a 103.2 km (64.1 mi) long river in the Mayenne and Maine-et-Loire départements, western France.^[1] Its source is near La Gravelle. It flows generally south east. It is a right tributary of the Mayenne into which it flows between Le Lion-d'Angers and Grez-Neuville.

Oudon
Sunset on Le Lion-d'Angers
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Native name	L'Oudon (French)
Location
Country	France
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	La Gravelle
• coordinates	48°04′12″N 01°00′30″W
• elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Mouth
• location	Mayenne
• coordinates	47°36′58″N 0°41′40″W
• elevation	18 m (59 ft)
Length	103.2 km (64.1 mi)
Basin size	1,350 km2 (520 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	9.04 m3/s (319 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Mayenne→ Maine→ Loire→ Atlantic Ocean

Its main tributary is the Verzée.

Départements and communes along its course

The river flows through the following départements and localities, from source to mouth:

• Mayenne: La Gravelle, Saint-Cyr-le-Gravelais, Ruillé-le-Gravelais, Montjean, Beaulieu-sur-Oudon, Méral, Cossé-le-Vivien, La Chapelle-Craonnaise, Athée, Livré-la-Touche, Craon, Bouchamps-lès-Craon, Chérancé
• Maine-et-Loire: Châtelais, L'Hôtellerie-de-Flée, Nyoiseau, Sainte-Gemmes-d'Andigné, Segré, La Chapelle-sur-Oudon, Andigné, Louvaines, Saint-Martin-du-Bois, Montreuil-sur-Maine, Le Lion-d'Angers and Grez-Neuville

Navigation

The Oudon was canalised in the 19th century from Segré to the river Mayenne, over a distance of 18 km with three locks. The waterway was used to transport timber for construction, granite and slate. The river, restored to navigation in 1980, is now part of the popular Anjou river network, with the Mayenne, Sarthe and their "common trunk" of the Maine down to the river Loire.^[2]