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{{Short description|River in south-east Cornwall, England}}{{About|the river in Cornwall|two rivers in Devon|River Lew}}
{{use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox river
| name = River Looe
| name_native =
| name_native_lang =
| name_other = East Looe River, West Looe River
| name_etymology =

| image = File:River Looe.jpg
| image_size = 250 px
| image_caption = River Looe in [[Looe]]
| map = FoweyLooeRiversMapCornwallUK.gif
| map_size =
| map_caption = Sketchmap of the East Looe and West Looe rivers in Cornwall
| pushpin_map =
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[England]]
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Cornwall]]
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| length = {{convert|30.48|mi|km|abbr=on}}
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| source1 =
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| basin_size = {{convert|36.3|sqmi|abbr=on}}
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{{River Looe Routemap}}
The '''River Looe''' ({{langx|kw|'''Logh'''}}, meaning ''deep water inlet'')<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ekwall|first1=Eilert|title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names|date=1960|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|page=304|edition=4|oclc=400936}}</ref> is a river in south-east [[Cornwall]], which flows into the [[English Channel]] at [[Looe]].<ref name=":OS:">{{cite map|title =Plymouth & Launceston |map =201|date =2009|scale =1:50,000 |series =Landranger|publisher =Ordnance Survey|edition =D1|isbn =9780319231463}}</ref> It has two main branches, the '''East Looe River''' and the '''West Looe River'''. The eastern branch has its source near [[St Cleer]] only {{convert|0.5|km|order=flip}} away from the [[Golitha Falls]] on the [[River Fowey]], and flows south, passing close to the western outskirts of [[Liskeard]]. The western branch has its source near [[Dobwalls]].<ref name=":OS:" />

== Route ==
South of Liskeard, the [[Looe Valley Line]] railway follows the course of the East Looe River to Looe. The railway is so close to the river that flooding is a common occurrence.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seaton, Looe & Fowey Catchment Management Plan|url=http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ealit:1365/OBJ/19001443.pdf|website=environmentdata.org|publisher=National Rivers Authority|access-date=22 December 2016|location=4.8.2 Local Perspective|page=56|format=PDF|date=December 1994}}</ref>

The lowest stretch of the rivers combine to form the tidal harbour and [[Looe Estuary|estuary]] of Looe. The combined length of the two rivers (including the tidal confluence) is {{convert|49.05|km|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Looe River|url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB108048002000|website=environment.data.gov.uk|publisher=Environment Agency|access-date=22 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Looe|url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB520804806300|website=environment.data.gov.uk|publisher=Environment Agency|access-date=22 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=East Looe River|url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB108048001440|website=environment.data.gov.uk|publisher=Environment Agency|access-date=22 December 2016}}</ref>

The river is tidal to Watergate on the West Looe and [[Sandplace]] on the East Looe. After Sandplace, the river was connected to the [[Liskeard and Looe Union Canal]] so that minerals and stone could be transported from the workings and quarries above [[Liskeard]] to the harbour at Looe.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Daniel|first1=John|title=A geography of Cornwall, historical ecclesiastical, civil, natural, and parochial|date=1854|publisher=Longman & Co|location=London|page=124|chapter=Hundred of West|oclc=58545739}}</ref> The tidal estuarine section is an example of a [[Ria]] (a drowned river valley) and at low tide, the rivers almost dry up to a very small natural level.<ref>{{cite web|title=River Estuary - Looe Estuary|url=http://looemarineconservation.org/looe-marine-conservation-group/wildlife-around-looe/river-estuary/|website=looemarineconservation.org|publisher=Looe Marine Conservation Group|access-date=22 December 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
*[[Rivers of the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Cornwall|state=collapsed}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Looe}}
[[Category:Rivers of Cornwall]]

{{Cornwall-geo-stub}}
{{England-river-stub}}

River Looe - Revision history

imported>Villaida: added section heading