Durance

Durance, river in Provence, France, a tributary of the River Rhône. It joins the Rhône near Avignon, and is about 300 km (185 mi) long. The Durance rises in a small lake in the Alps 1,855 m (6,080 ft) above sea level, near the Col de Montgenèvre on the Italian border. The Durance has a number of fast-flowing tributaries, including the Buëch and Guisane on the right bank, and the Asse, Bléone, Ubaye, and Verdon on the left. It frequently floods the land on its banks in the broader valley of its lower reaches, and has to be controlled by dykes. In its upper reaches, where it flows through deep gorges, the Durance and some of its tributaries have been dammed to provide hydroelectric power. The waters of the Durance provide the bulk of the supply for Marseille, and are also used for irrigation.