Janon
| Janon | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône-Alpes |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | Mont Pilat |
| River mouth | Saint-Chamond, Loire |
| Progression | Gier→ Rhône→ Mediterranean Sea |
| Basin size | 33 km2 (13 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 13.9 km (8.6 mi) |
Coordinates: 45°28′25″N 4°30′12″E / 45.473653°N 4.503423°E
The Janon is a small river that rises in Mont Pilat in the Massif Central of France near to Saint Étienne. It runs for 13.9 kilometres (8.6 mi) through mostly built-up country to join the Gier at Saint-Chamond. The valley of the Janon and the Gier is a natural line of communication between the coal mines of Saint Étienne and the port of Givors on the Rhone. For many years there were plans to build a canal along this line. A westward extension to the Loire would link the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, but this never materialized. In 1833 the first railway in France was opened along the line of the Janon and Gier.
The Janon is a tributary of the Gier, which in turn is a tributary of the Rhone. It is 13.9 kilometres (8.6 mi) long. The Janon from Terrenoire to Saint-Chamond, and then the Gier from Saint-Chamond to Givors, create a valley in the coal basin between the Pilat massif to the south and the Riverie chain of the Monts du Lyonnais to the north. The catchment basin of the Janon is 33 square kilometres (13 sq mi), with a mean altitude of 610 metres (2,000 ft).
The Janon rises in Mont Pilat at an altitude of over 1,300 metres (4,300 ft), and soon reaches the built-up area of Terrenoire in Saint Étienne, where it feeds the "Basin Janon". This pool was once used for industrial water supply, but today is used for fishing. Where the river passes through Terrenoire it is channeled and covered. The Massardière, a sizable stream of water from the mines of Saint Étienne, enters the Janon here, providing 10 to 20 litres (2.2 to 4.4 imp gal; 2.6 to 5.3 US gal) per second. The Janon flows east from Saint Étienne through Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds to Saint-Chamond, where it joins the Gier. The Ricolin is the largest tributary of Janon. It receives effluent from the sewage treatment plant in Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, which had about 2,800 inhabitants in 2010. The Janon's other tributaries are the Combe Noire and Langonand.
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