Rivers
The information below comes from the brochures "Une rivière qui coule à côté de chez vous" published by the Cultural Centre of the Belgian Province of Walloon Brabant (in Court-Saint-Etienne) in the framework of the Dyle and its tributaries River Contract.
The Dyle river
This river has its source upstream of the Cense de Hagoulle in Houtain-le-Val.
On the Walloon territory, the Dyle river crosses the municipalities of Genappe, Court-Saint-Etienne, Ottigines, Wavre and Grez-Doiceau. Then it crosses part of the Flemish territory before joining the Rupel river after 86km. The Rupel, for its part, flows into the Scheldt a few kilometres further away.
Craftsmen settled on the banks of the Houssière river as early as the Middle Ages and contributed to the economic development of the region. As far as the architectural heritage is concerned, visitors will enjoy, among others, the castle of Bierbais (a listed building) and the mill of Dussart (in Gentinnes), which was renovated in 1998 and is one of the last operational water mills.
There are two species of fish in Villeroux: the bullhead and the stickleback.
The Houssière river
The Houssière has its source in Sombreffe and, alongside its 9 km course, crosses the villages of Gentinnes, Saint-Géry, Villeroux and Hévillers. The Houssière flows into the Orne river near the castle of Bierbais which in turn flows into the Thyle river a few kilometres further.
Visitors following the Houssière river will cross various natural sites, in particular the nature reserve of Bois de l'Ermitage. This reserve is situated on both banks of the river, South of the village of Gentinnes.
The Nil river
The Nil river has its source on the territory of Walhain, between the hamlet of Baudecet and the centre of Walhain. It flows along the hamlet of Saint-Paul, crosses the villages of Tourinnes-Saint-Lambert, Libersart, Nil-Saint-Vincent-Saint-Martin (13 km). Then the Nil river flows into the Orne river which in turn flows into the Thyle.
Craftsmen settled on the banks of the Nil river as early as the Middle Ages and contributed to the economic development of the region. The region boasts of interesting constructions such as the mill of Nil-Pierreux. The castle of Walhain and the tower of Alvaux (or Tower of the Saracens of Nil-saint-Vincent) are other must-sees.
The natural banks of the river are well kept, except in Walhain and between Libersart and Nil-saint-Lambert.
The Walloon Administration of Fishing has not made a census of the fish species present in this river.
Unfortunately, the relatively mediocre quality of the water of the Nil and the lack of oxygen in the water impede the development of fish in this river.
The Orne river
The Orne river has its source on the territory of Corroy-le-Château (Municipality of Gembloux). It flows over 18km and crosses the villages of Cortil, Noirmont, Chastre, Blanmont, Mont-Saint-Guibert and Beaurieux. The Orne river flows into the Thyle river, near the castle of Court-Saint-Erienne, before the Thyle river flows into the Dyle river a few hundred meters downstream.
The course of the Orne river crosses various natural sites of which the most interesting one is located in Court-Saint-Etienne. The park of the castle of Court-Saint-Etienne is planted with trees. The ponds of the Champeau are nearby and surrounded by wetlands. All together, this forms a protected natural site, exactly the same as the hilly woods of the Franquenies and of Laussau (private site).
Craftsmen settled on the banks of the Orne river as early as the Middle Ages. The local architectural heritage includes, among others, the flour mill of Beaurueux, the tower of Alvaux (also called the tower of the Saracens), the old paper mills of Genval and the brewery of Grade-Fecher which has become famous thanks to its beer, the 'Vieux-Temps'. Lets us not forget the mill of Cortil which used to belong to the Abbey of Gembloux, and the mill of Godepont.
There are four species of fish in the Orne river in Mont-Saint-Guibert: mostly roach and stickleback, but also loach and trout. Moreover, the local fishing club regularly releases trout in the river.
The Ry Angon river
This river has its source in Mont-Saint-Guibert, at the Profondval farm. It flows through the hamlet of Ruchaux and the Woods of Dreams (Bois des Rêves) where it is joined by the Malaise river, right before flowing into the Dyle river near the train station of Mousty.
The most interesting natural sites along the Ry Angon river comprise the woodlands and alluvial lands (Natural 2000 area) alongside the Ry Angon and Malaise rivers. Let us not forget to mention the castle and the farm of Profondval with their fields and the woods of Morimont.
The Ry Angon river already activated an earth-grinding mill in the 19th century. This earth came from the old quarries of Franquenies and was used to produce a dye. The water of the river also activated the flour mill of Franquenies.
There are two species of fish in the Ry Angon river: stickleback and roach.
The Ry d'Hez river
This river has its source at the place know as 'Les Quatre Bras', in the hills above Sart-Dames-Avelines. It follows the woods of Bérines and Hez, crosses the hamlet of Fosty and the village of Tangissart. After about 7 km, the Ry d'Hez river flows into the Thyle river upstream of the old mill of La Roche. The most interesting natural site along the Ry d'Hez river is the bottom and the wodded sides of its valley (Woods of Hez and of Bérines). This Natura 2000 area is a natural site protecting various species of forest and water birds, including the bittern, the snipe, the kite, the kingfisher of Europe and the black woodpecker.
There are six species of fish in the Ry d'Hez: loach, bullhead, stickleback, fario and rainbow trout and carassius.
The Thyle river
This river has its source near the village of Sart-Dames-Avelines, near Villers-la-Ville. It crosses Villers-la-Ville through its centre, Tangissart, Faux and Court-Saint-Etienne where it flows into the Dyle river, after receiving the waters of the Orne river. The Thyle river flows over 16 km.
There are different natual sites along the course of the Thyle river. The most interesting ones are the valley of Ry Sainte-Gertrude and of the Ry Pirot, as well as their wooded hills. Visitors will discover of beech grove, an oak grove with heath in the undergrowth and wetlands. This Natura 2000 area boasts of the presence of various birds such as bitterns, snipes, kites, kingfishers and black woodpeckers.
Craftsmen settled on the banks of the Thyle river as early as the Middle Ages. Visitors will discover the mills of Chevlipont, of la Roche, of Faux and of Suzeril. Not to mention the old industrial plants of Henricot which contributed to the economic development of Court-Saint-Etienne and the region.
There are three species of fish in the Thyle in Faux: mostly roach, but also stickleback and bullhead. The Ry Sainte Gertrude and the Ry-Pirot have fario trout and bullhead. The presence of these two species proves the good quality of the water.
Visitors will discover many natural sites along the Dyle river. The most interesting one comprises the woods of Noirhat and the Plantées des Dames. This natural site is protected in the framework of the European Natura 2000 programme. The banks of the Dyle river can also boast of an interesting architectural heritage with the old mill-brewery of Mérivaux and the old industrial plants of Henricot, which contributed to the economic boom of Court-Saint-Etienne and more generally of the region. Four species of fish live in the Dyle river near Court-Saint-Etienne: mostly roach but also gudgeons, perches and trenches.