Authie (river)


The Authie is a river in northern France whose course crosses the departement of the Pas-de-Calais and the Somme. Its source is near the village of Coigneux. It flows through the towns of Doullens, Auxi-le-Château, Nempont-Saint-Firmin and Nampont, finally flowing out into the Channel near Berck.
Its regular course has attracted mankind for many centuries, developing an agricultural environment that is still dominant today. The valley of the Authie, with many towns, villages, abbeys and chateaux, holds a rich architectural heritage alongside the banks of the river, while the river mouth forms a sizeable bay between Fort-Mahon-Plage and Berck, typical of Picardy estuaries. The area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna.

Etymology

The origin of the name Authie has not been established with any certainty. A possibility is the pre-Celtic word atur meaning river. It was known in Latin as Alteia.
Many waterways’ names, such as the Adour, are a corruption of the Celtic term alt meaning deep and that could refer to the steep-sided bed of the river.
Another suggestion stems from the Latin word attegia designating groups of fishermen and lumberjacks living by any river.

Geography

Hydrology

In the context of an oceanic/pluvial system, the Authie has a uniform and comparatively sustained outflow of at its outlet.
The river flow is affected by the oceanic climate, characterized by an average annual temperature of 10 °C, very few days of frost, comparatively high rainfall between per year except near the coast estuary where rainfall is less than per year.

Departements and communes traversed