Sarthe (river)

The Sarthe is a 313.9 km river in western France. Together with the river Mayenne it forms the river Maine, which is a tributary to the river Loire.

Its source is in the Orne department, near Moulins-la-Marche. It flows generally southwest, through the following departments and towns:


 * Orne: Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe, Alençon
 * Sarthe: Fresnay-sur-Sarthe, Beaumont-sur-Sarthe, Le Mans, Sablé-sur-Sarthe
 * Maine-et-Loire: Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe, Tiercé, Angers

Its main tributaries are the Loir and the Huisne from the left, and the Vaige, the Erve and the Vègre from the right.



Navigation
The Sarthe has 20 weirs and locks. The channel is well marked and navigation is straightforward, except for the risk of shoals in certain sections.