Vilaine

The Vilaine is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne département, and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan département. It is 218 km long.

Course of the river

The river arises near the towns of Juvigné and La Croixille. It passes through 4 départements and 4 main towns, then flows into the Bay of Biscay by Pénestin.
Three barrages were built around Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine to alleviate flooding, while securing potable water supplies:

1978 Valière barrage
1982 Haute-Vilaine barrage
1995 Villaumur barrage

They are also amenities for recreational activities.

Hydrology

The river has a flow ranging between 2 and 1500 m³/s

Navigation

The Vilaine is part of Brittany's canal system, built mainly in the 19th century for relatively small barges. The entire system was transferred to the Brittany Region in 2011. In Rennes the river connects to the Canal d'Ille et Rance hence the Rance estuary, which enters the English Channel at Saint-Malo. In Redon it crosses the Canal de Nantes à Brest, giving access to Pontivy and the Blavet and Nantes.

Main tributaries