Gabas (river)

Gabas
Location
Country	France
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Plateau of Ger
Mouth
• location	Adour
• coordinates	43°45′41″N 0°42′9″W
Length	117 km (73 mi)
Basin features
Progression	Adour→ Atlantic Ocean

The Gabas is a left tributary of the Adour, in the Landes, in the Southwest of France. It is 116.7 km (72.5 mi) long.

Name

The name Gabas is derived from the French gave (Gascon: 'gabe'), which in the Pyrenees generically describes a small or large watercourse. The river was known as the fluvius gavasensis in 982.

A tributary of the Léez is named the Gabassot, a hypocoristic of Gabas.

Geography

The Gabas rises in the plateau of Ger in the north of Lourdes, as the union of the Gabastou and the Honrède. It flows north-west like the neighboring rivers: the Luy, the Uzan and the Ousse.

The Gabas crosses the Tursan, in the Landes. It flows into the Adour in Toulouzette, downstream from Saint-Sever.

A dam of 20 million cubic metres (16,000 acre⋅ft) was built in its upper course to regulate the lowest water level.

Main tributaries

• (R) the Bayle from Lourenties
• (R) the Bas, from Geaune
  • (R) the Lescoû, from Saint-Loubouer
  • (L) the Petit Bas, from Pimbo
• (L) the Laudon, from Hagetmau