Bèze (river)

The Bèze (French pronunciation: [bɛz]) is a French river in the Côte-d'Or department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. It is a right tributary of the Saône, and thus a sub-tributary of the Rhône.

The river rises in the Crétanne cave in the village of Bèze, then crosses several communes in its 31.2 kilometres (19.4 mi) course before entering the Saône in Vonges. Its source is the outlet of a vast underground network fed by the Tille and the Venelle. A walk has been laid out around the spring, which is a major tourist attraction in the region.

The watershed of the Bèze river and its main tributary, the Albane, irrigates the Saône Vingeanne country, over a total area of 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi) Along its course the landscape alternates between forested areas and areas of large crops, livestock meadows and ponds. The basin is home to four natural areas of interest for their ecology, fauna and flora.

Human occupation along the river began as early as the Paleolithic. In Roman Gaul the sanctuary of Mirebeau-sur-Bèze, on an important axis of communication, was an important place in the region. The site was occupied by the Legio VIII Augusta, who built an imposing military camp. In the Middle Ages the river saw the foundation of the Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Bèze, a gathering place for the pilgrimage of Saint Prudent de Narbonne. In the modern era the Poudrerie nationale de Vonges was founded at the mouth of the Bèze, which it used for industrial purposes. It remains an important heritage building on the water.

The fauna and flora are similar to those associated with the Saône ecosystem, with a predominance of trout. Many hydraulic structures, however, have a strong impact on the river species. The water quality of the Bèze and its tributaries is considered mediocre due to nitrates from agricultural and livestock activities along the river's course. The Bèze and its watershed do not present any major natural hazards.