Saône

Saône (sōn), river, 268 mi (431 km) long, rising in the Vosges Mts. near Épinal, E France, and flowing SW past Gray, Chalon-sur-Saône, and Mâcon to join the Rhône River at Lyons. An important transportation link between Paris and Marseilles, it is connected by canals to the Moselle, Marne, Yonne, and Loire rivers. Because of its even and gentle flow, the Saône carries more traffic than the Rhône. There are famous vineyards along its course.

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Saône 

a river in eastern France, a right (and the largest) tributary of the Rhône. It is 482 km long and drains an area of approximately 30,000 sq km, with part of the basin in Switzerland. The main tributary is the Doubs.

The Saône originates on the southern part of the Lorraine Plateau and flows through the Saône-Rhöne intermontane depression; it is calm and flows along plains. The Saóne is fed primarily by rain, with the highest water levels from November through April. The level rises 3–4 m during flash floods; the mean flow rate near the mouth is approximately 400 cu m per sec. The Saóne is navigable for almost its entire length; the channel contains locks and is embanked in places. The river is connected by canals with the Moselle, Loire, Marne, Seine, and Rhine rivers. The city of Lyon is at the mouth.