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Dordogne River Water Levels Outlook, Week of August 18, 2025

Cliffside village of La Roque Gageac with honey stone houses above the deep aqua Dordogne River, drifting yellow wildflowers in the foreground, sandstone grain texture overlay.
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Sailing on the lower Dordogne around Libourne looks normal this week, with movements planned to tide windows in a macrotidal estuary system. 5,6 The Libourne gauge shows a recent level near 7.3 ft (2.24 m) and green vigilance, and no broad flood signals are posted. 2,3 Travelers should coordinate with their advisor, verify pier times that flex with tides, and consider Cancel For Any Reason timing for maximum flexibility.

Current Conditions

Primary gauge: Libourne, La Dordogne à Libourne (station P577001001). 1 7.3 ft (2.24 m), normal range data unavailable. Risk level Normal given a routine stage and green vigilance at the station serving the tidal lower Dordogne. 236

Seven-Day Outlook

Chart unavailable. Data summary: City forecasts for Libourne show only light showers this week, with totals generally near or below about 0.20 in (5 mm), and many dry hours. 4 Because tides dominate short-term levels on this reach, operators schedule to official SHOM tide tables for nearby Pauillac and along the estuary. The call is Normal for the next 7 days. 5

Three-Week Risk Forecast

PeriodLikelihood of DisruptionConfidence
Days 1 to 7NormalHigh
Days 8 to 14NormalMedium
Days 15 to 21NormalLow

The Dordogne is part of the Gironde fluvial-estuarine system, where tidal forcing governs navigation timing more than upstream low-flow in late summer. Tide gauges maintained for the port confirm routine management of water levels along the Dordogne and Garonne, supporting stable cruise operations absent unusual storm setups. 6

Cruise-Line Responses

Data unavailable.

Traveler Advice

Booked guests over the next two weeks can plan on normal operations. Expect minor time shifts to align with favorable tide windows at Libourne or nearby berths, and watch your line's app or emails 48 to 72 hours before embarkation. 5

If you are shopping near-term dates, this is a favorable window. Choose flexible fares, or insurance, that allow small timing adjustments without heavy penalties, and confirm your line's practice for scheduling around SHOM tide tables. 5

For trips more than three weeks out, keep monitoring but avoid changes based on today's outlook. In this macrotidal system, routine variability rarely prompts major reroutes, and port tide services provide operational margin for cruise movements. 6

Methodology

We use France's national gauge portals for station identity and observations at Libourne, the Vigicrues station feed, official SHOM tide tables for Pauillac, public city-level precipitation pages, and internal thresholds, converting meters to feet at 1 ft = 0.3048 m. 13547

Disclaimer

Forecasts beyond ten days are probabilistic and may change without notice. This information does not constitute financial or insurance advice.

Sources

  1. Hydro Eaufrance, station fiche, La Dordogne à Libourne, P577001001
  2. Sentival, Libourne station, latest level and vigilance status
  3. Vigicrues, Libourne (Dordogne) station page
  4. Timeanddate, Libourne 14-day forecast with daily precipitation
  5. SHOM official tide tables, Pauillac
  6. REFMAR, Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux, tide-gauge network for Dordogne and Garonne
  7. NIST Handbook 44 Appendix C, exact foot-meter conversion, 1 ft = 0.3048 m