A landform with disparate assets
To be in Beauville one day and in Allons another can be surprising as these two "corners" offer dissonant reliefs. The "puechs" in Occitan, which can be translated as "mounds", identify the particularity of the Pays de Serre and remind us of its proximity to the landscapes of Quercy. Puymirol and Tournon-d'Agenais illustrate the defensive utility of these small hills in the history of mankind. On the other hand, the flatness of the region located in the west of the Lot-et-Garonne called "Les Landes de Gascogne" and which is no less interesting, bears witness to the contiguity with the singular Landes forest and these large straight lines lined with pine trees indicating the road to the ocean. Most of the territory, i.e. 400,000 hectares, is otherwise made up of plateaux and plains where hills sometimes appear, whether in Duras or on the outskirts of the Gers region. From north to south, the two valleys of the Lot and the Garonne form the common threads where these reliefs are added to characterize this geographical disparity.
Water: a founding encounter
Like many other departments, the Lot-et-Garonne owes its name to the rivers that flow through it. What makes this land so special is that the confluence of the two major rivers of the region is at its heart. From Aiguillon, the Lot, coming from the Massif Central, flows into the Garonne on the right, coming from Spain. These two rivers have built the economic history of the region in all sectors, from agriculture today to a growing green tourism. The Garonne is like a natural totemic element for the people of Lot-et-Garonne who call it "Garonne". As for the Lot, it characterises the eastern region of the territory and its symbolism is also strong for its residents. The Canal des Deux-Mers also tells the story of Lot-et-Garonne and the crucial point of passage that it has always been at every period. Historically, the Canal des Deux-Mers is the link between the Canal du Midi from Sète to Toulouse and the Canal Latéral à la Garonne linking Toulouse to Castets-en-Dorthe in the Gironde, thus making it possible to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The Lot-et-Garonne section of the Canal des Deux-Mers "pierces" the department from Meilhan-sur-Garonne to Saint-Jean-de-Thurac and has recently become a popular source of green tourism.
Other rivers "make" the Lot-et-Garonne, in particular the Baïse gasconne and its locks which, running along the western side of the department, is a left-hand tributary of the Garonne river. Its navigability is pleasant, but for a long time it was considered dangerous because of "payssières", in this case extremely unreliable dams. Otherwise, the Dropt in the Périgord and its mills, the Ciron at Houeillès, so precious for the much appreciated sweet wines, or the Séoune in the southern region characterise the Lot-et-Garonne. As for the Avance, it is a strange river with a small flow which, before arriving at Casteljaloux, is lost twice in the ground.
Between fog and sun: a degraded oceanic climate
Like the whole world, the Lot-et-Garonne is subject to global warming and its seasons may be slightly modified. Nevertheless, one can easily define the climatic elements that distinguish this territory throughout the year. The thick fog of autumn is real and forces drivers to be cautious when traveling the roads of the Garonne Valley. When one is early in the morning, whether one is in the Mézinais or on the roads bordering the Marmandais crops, one must admit that the beauty is splendid. It is pleasant to be able to admire the mist like a white veil on the fields that cover the horizon. The summers are hot and the temperatures contrast with those of the winter. The Lot-et-Garonne is a "hot land" during the three months of summer and the thunderstorms of May herald the start of the summer season. The transition of the seasons and the passing of the baton between the sunny months and the colder ones in October usually kicks off the mushroom season in the forests, such as the one in Mas d'Agenais. In terms of precipitation, the Lot-et-Garonne region experiences strong disparities between the very rainy month of May and the month of March with the least precipitation in the year. The Lot-et-Garonne is not a department of strong winds, the frequency of which remains rather low, but it was deeply impacted during the great storm at the end of 1999 and its population was particularly affected.
In general, this singular climate added to a fertile land has partly given the territory its agricultural identity.
Scattered soils
The Lot-et-Garonne is made up of a mosaic of "countries", sometimes silty, sometimes calcareous, belonging to the great whole of the Aquitaine basin. Thus, in the east of the department, you will find an area of limestone cause, and more particularly in the Fumelois where you will find quartz or sandstone formations covered, depending on where you are, by sand and gravel. On the other hand, in the southwest of the department, the sands of the Landes and the soils coming from these sands have the funny name of podzols. In addition, it should be noted that on the gentle slopes, exposed to the north and east, the molasses are covered by a thick sandy-clay formation with little limestone. Here again, the Lot-et-Garonne is characterized by a rather rich geological diversity where the Garonne river runs through all these soils like a gutter. From this rather diversified "natural floor" and globally characteristic of each of the "countries" that make up Lot-et-Garonne, you will find a plethora of vines growing there - the different soils giving a very specific identity, whether you are in the Brulhois, Buzet, Marmande or Duras. From a sandy flat land towards the Landes to rocky hothouses where villages like Beauville or Puymirol have been built, the contrasting soil adds to the other geographical criteria to make Lot-et-Garonne a mille-feuille of natural particularities.
