Morges (river)
The Morges is a river in Switzerland, located in the canton of Vaud. It flows into the Rhône at Lake Geneva and passes through the town of Morges, which takes its name from the river. Its main tributaries are the Combagnou on the left bank, which joins it south of Pampigny, and the Grand Curbit on the right bank near Bussy and Vaux-sur-Morges.
Etymology
The name Morges derives from the Franco-Provençal terms Morgia or Morgyz. The word morgia is related to morga or marka, meaning a boundary or frontier in early Proto-Germanic. The river shares this origin with the Morge of Saint-Gingolph and the Morge of Conthey.
Geography
Course
The Morges rises north of Apples in an area known as Le Marais. Along its course, the river alternates between underground channelled sections and open-air stretches. It follows the Apples–L'Isle railway line as far as the Le Manège station, then turns northeast. It re-emerges and receives the waters of the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The river then enters the municipality of Sévery from the south and exits to the east into Cottens, where it is joined by the Combagnou. It then makes a sharp turn southward and enters Échichens, flowing west of Colombier. Continuing south, it forms the municipal boundary with Clarmont. Along this boundary, a water intake divides the river channel as far as the Clarmont mill. The Morges then continues south, marking the boundary between Clarmont and Vaux-sur-Morges, before flowing entirely through Vaux-sur-Morges to the tripoint with Bussy-Chardonney and Vufflens-le-Château, where the Grand Curbit joins it. From there, the river turns southeast, forming the boundary between Vufflens-le-Château and Vaux-sur-Morges, then Monnaz. At another tripoint between Vufflens-le-Château, Échichens, and Morges, it is joined by the Baillon. The river then flows south, forming the boundary between Chigny and Morges, before flowing entirely through Morges and emptying into Lake Geneva. Its total length is approximately.
Fauna
Several fish ladders are installed along the Morges, notably at Vaux-sur-Morges. The river is known as a habitat for brown trout. In 2013, the Vaud cantonal fisheries authority recorded the capture of 190 individuals.
Hydrology
The drainage basin of the Morges covers, and the river has a nival-pluvial flow regime. Near the ice rink in Morges, the average annual discharge in 2011 was. Over the period 1995–2011, the average discharge was. The highest recorded peak flow occurred on, exceeding, with an average daily discharge of on the same day. The lowest average daily discharge was recorded on, at less than.