Combleux is a French commune located in the Loiret department in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
The commune is located within the perimeter of the Loire Valley inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. It is part of Orléans Métropole.
Geography Location
The commune of Combleux is located in the center of the Loiret department, in the agricultural region of the Loire Valley. and the urban area of Orléans. As the crow flies, it is situated from Orléans, the prefecture of the department, and from Chécy, the former chief town of the canton to which the commune belonged before March 2015. The commune is part of the living zone of Orléans..
The closest communes, with distances measured as the crow flies between chief towns, are: Saint-Jean-de-Braye (), Chécy (), Saint-Denis-en-Val (), Boigny-sur-Bionne (), Semoy (), Saint-Jean-le-Blanc (), Mardié (), Bou (), Orléans () and Fleury-les-Aubrais ()..
Geology and terrain
The Orléans region is located in the south of the Paris Basin, a vast basin composed of a stack of sedimentary layers of mainly detrital origins (from the erosion of ancient mountain chains) and carbonate (precipitation of calcium carbonate). These deposits range from the Triassic (- 250 million years) to the Pliocene (- 23 million years) and occur mainly in marine contexts, but also in lacustrine environments. The successions of glacial and interglacial periods during the Quaternary lead to the current geomorphological configuration: more or less deep alteration of the rocks in place, ancient alluvial terraces perched on the plateaus and incision of the current Loire valley.
The Beauce limestones, which constitute the bedrock of the communal territory, formed during the Aquitanian (from -23 to -20.5 million years). The upper part of this formation, the Pithiviers limestones (m1CPi), the Blamont marls (m1MBI) and the marls and limestones of the Orléanais (m2MCO), occupy a large part of the commune. They are covered in their eastern part by high terrace alluvium of the Loire (Fw), dating from the Pleistocene. The rest of the communal territory is covered by recent alluvium and colluvium (Fz), dating from the Holocene.
Fragmented and fissured, the limestones can be the site of karstic phenomena. The preferential circulations of groundwater erode these limestones in depth and lead to the formation of depressions, sinkholes or dolines. Surface manifestations of these weaknesses are not rare in the Orléans region. One cavity was inventoried by the Centre regional service of the BRGM on the commune, in October 2003.
The communal territory is relatively flat since the maximum relief is . The altitude of the territory varies indeed from to Geographical Directory of Municipalities (RGC) 2015. In 2016, the RGC was replaced by the Admin Express database, which now only includes the average altitude of the municipality, with the minimum and maximum altitudes available via a geographic information system.
Hydrography
The commune is crossed by the Canal d'Orléans () and the Loire (). The communal hydrographic network, with a total length of , includes two other notable watercourses, the () and the (), and various small watercourses..
The course of the Loire fits into a wide valley that it has shaped little by little over thousands of years. It crosses the south of the Loiret department from Beaulieu-sur-Loire to Beaugency, with a wide and slow course. The Loire exhibits fairly marked seasonal flow fluctuations. The closest hydrometric station to the commune and serving as a reference in case of flood is that of Orléans, at the level of the George V Bridge. The average monthly flow (calculated over for this station) varies from in the month of August to in the month of February. However, the Loire experiences very high flow peaks in case of exceptional bad weather, the maximum having been reached at this station on 8 December 2003 with . The maximum flow of the Loire calculated for the maximum floods of 1856 or 1866 is on the order of ... Its flow is regulated by upstream dams ( upstream on the Allier and ). These dams intervene for low-flow support (minimum flow of in low water at Gien) and Villerest also allows cresting floods. The Loire is a classified as a . The dominant biological species consists mainly of white fish (cyprinids) and predators (pike, zander and perch). Since the 1990s this type of river has also been populated by wels catfish., .
The Oussance, or Cens, with a total length of , rises in the commune of Nibelle and flows into the Canal d'Orléans at Orléans, after crossing 11 communes.
The Bionne, with a total length of , forms the northwestern limit of the commune. It rises in the commune of Loury and flows into the Canal d'Orléans at Saint-Jean-de-Braye, after crossing 7 communes.. On the fish plan, the Bionne is classified as second category fish..
Climate In 2010, the climate of the commune was classified as a degraded oceanic climate of the central and northern plains, according to a CNRS study based on data covering the 1971–2000 period. In 2020, Météo-France published a typology of the climates of metropolitan France in which the commune is exposed to an altered oceanic climate and is located in the climatic region Middle Loire Valley, characterized by good sunshine () and a relatively dry summer..
For the 1971–2000 period, the average annual temperature is , with an annual thermal amplitude of . The average annual precipitation is , with of precipitation in January and in July. For the 1991–2020 period, the average annual temperature observed at the weather station of Météo-France closest to the commune, located in Fleury-les-Aubrais at as the crow flies,. is and the average annual precipitation is ... For the future, the climate parameters of the commune estimated for 2050 according to different are available on a dedicated website published by Météo-France in November 2022..
Sites and landscapes UNESCO World Heritage On 30 November 2000, the Loire Valley, in its middle course from Sully-sur-Loire (Loiret) to Chalonnes-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire), was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a "cultural landscape". This inscription recognizes the site’s "outstanding universal value" based on the density of its monumental, architectural, and urban heritage, the interest of the river landscape, and the exceptional quality of landscape expressions inherited from the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. Any alteration of this outstanding universal value is considered a loss to the memory of humanity.. The prefect of the Centre region, coordinating prefect, approved the management plan for the Loire Valley World Heritage by decree on 15 November 2012.. Thirty-five communes in Loiret are concerned,. including Combleux, which has a portion of its territory inscribed and the rest in the buffer zone..
Classified site The site known as "Combleux site" is classified under the Classification is a strong protection that corresponds to a desire to strictly maintain the designated site in its current state, which does not exclude management and enhancement. Changes are therefore possible, but a classified site cannot be destroyed or modified in its state or appearance except with the express authorization of the relevant minister or prefect (for works not subject to building permits and for fence modifications) after the opinion of the architect of the Buildings of France. by a decree of 14 October 1988.. Covering a total area of 285 hectares, it concerns the communes of Combleux, Saint-Jean-de-Braye, Chécy, Saint-Denis-en-Val, Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, and Orléans. It is considered the richest in terms of landscape within the Orléans agglomeration, at the heart of the green corridor that crosses the area of the Orléans master plan for development and urban planning from east to west..
Natural environment and biodiversity The Loire at Combleux has sandbanks that provide nesting sites for birds; fairly wild Loire woodlands also occupy the banks and contribute to ecological diversity. The Loire is protected or listed under various classifications and regulations in Combleux.
Natura 2000 sites The Natura 2000 network is a European ecological network of natural sites of ecological interest established under the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. This network consists of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Within these zones, Member States commit to maintaining the relevant habitats and species in a favorable conservation status through regulatory, administrative, or contractual measures. The goal is to promote appropriate habitat management while considering the economic, social, cultural, and regional or local characteristics of each Member State. Human activities are not prohibited, provided they do not significantly compromise the favorable conservation status of the habitats and species concerned...
There are two Natura 2000 sites within the communal territory of Combleux.. Name Number Type Decree Area Description Vallée de la Loire de Tavers à Belleville-sur-Loire FR2400528 SIC (Habitats Directive) 13 April 2007. The site covers 51 communes. The delimitation of this Natura 2000 site is very similar to that of the Birds Directive. The primary interest of the site lies in the Loire habitats linked to the river’s dynamics, which host numerous species listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive.. It is located in the eastern and southern parts of the commune.. Vallée de la Loire du Loiret FR2410017 SPA (Birds Directive) 4 May 2007. The site covers the Loire Valley in the Loiret department. This SPA extends upstream and downstream into neighboring departments. The primary interest of the site lies in the Loire habitats and species linked to the river’s dynamics. These habitats host numerous species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The site is characterized by nesting colonies of little tern, common tern, and Mediterranean gull. Fishing sites for the osprey are also present. The site is also a breeding ground for the black-crowned night heron, little egret, honey buzzard, black kite, stone-curlew, kingfisher, black woodpecker, and red-backed shrike.. It is located in the eastern and southern parts of the commune.
National zones of ecological, faunal, and floral interest The inventory of Natural Zones of Ecological, Faunal, and Floral Interest (ZNIEFF) aims to identify the most ecologically significant areas, primarily to enhance knowledge of the national natural heritage and provide decision-makers with a tool to consider environmental factors in land-use planning. The communal territory of Combleux includes two ZNIEFFs: "Island and banks of Combleux" and "The Orléans Loire"..
Ville fleurie label The town holds the Ville fleurie label with two flowers awarded by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom of France at the Competition of Towns and Villages in Bloom.
Urban planning Typology As of 1 January 2024, Combleux is categorized as an urban belt, according to the new seven-level communal density grid defined by the Insee in 2022..