Leie River

Infobox River | river_name = Lys/Leie


caption = The Leie in Ghent.
origin = Pas-de-Calais
mouth = Scheldt
coord|51|3|18|N|3|44|3|E|name=Scheldt-Lys|display=inline,title
basin_countries = Belgium, France
length_km = 202
elevation_m = 115
discharge =
watershed = The Leie (Dutch) or Lys (French) is a river in France and Belgium, and a left tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is convert|202|km|mi.

It is a very polluted river due to the high density of population and industry in the North of France and in Belgium. Historically, the Lys valley was known for the spinning and weaving of flax. The region of the Leie (between Deinze and Ghent) used to be known as a favourite place for numerous painters in the first half of the twentieth century.

The source of the Lys is in the village Lisbourg, east of Fruges, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France. It flows generally northeast through the following departments of France, provinces of Belgium and towns:

*Pas-de-Calais (F): Thérouanne, Aire-sur-la-Lys
*Nord (F): Merville, Armentières, Halluin
*Hainaut (B): Comines-Warneton
*West Flanders (B): Menen, Kortrijk, Waregem
*East Flanders (B): Deinze, Ghent

External links

*http://www.geoportail.fr
* [http://sandre.eaufrance.fr/app/chainage/courdo/htm/E3--0120.php?cg=E3--0120 The Lys (Leie) at the Sandre database]
* [http://www.lin.vlaanderen.be/awz/waterstanden/hydra/images/aoso_leie04.gifRiver bassin of the Lys in Flanders]