Aigues-Vives, Ariège


Aigues-Vives is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aigues-Vivesiens or Aigues-Vivesiennes.

Geography

Location

Aigues-Vives is located both in the Pays d'Olmes and the Canton of Mirepoix on the D625 main road which runs from Saint-Quentin-la-Tour in the north through the heart of the commune and the town to Laroque-d'Olmes in the south. It is about 90 km in a direct line south by south west of Narbonne. Augues-Vives can also be accessed from the east on Highway D28 from Léran. Apart from the Aigues-Vives town there is one other residential area to the north of the town called Le Kartare. The commune is forested to the west and the east with the centre of the commune farmland.

Neighboring communes and villages

Hydrography

The Countirou stream, which has its source in the nearby village of Tabre, passes through the commune of Aigues-Vives, along the D625 road, and comes to an end at Hers-Vif near Mirepoix. A number of streams traverse the commune and flow into Coutirou including the: Fontaine de Toustou, the Couxou, the Ribalerie, and the Saint-Paul).
Lake Montbel is located three kilometres south-east of the commune and is visible from the hills above Aigues-Vives.

Geology and terrain

The village is located in an area formed during the Tertiary period with a soil which is a mix of conglomerate and sandstone, on strata called the "conglomerates of Palassou" located on the North Pyrenees faultline.
Aigues-Vives is surrounded by several hills, the highest being 630m above sea level, on the western edge of the commune. The village itself is 420m high on average with the lowest point being 391m.

Seismicity and disasters

According to decree No. 2010-1255 of 22 October 2010 on the delimitation of the seismicity of the French territory, Aigues-Vives is exposed to a risk level of 3.
Other risks facing Aigues-Vives are forest fires, industrial hazards, and risks due to transport of dangerous goods. Past disasters include the November 1982 storm, flooding and mudslides in January 1992 and mudslides in November–December 1996.

Toponymy

Aigues-Vives or in Occitan Aigas Vivas meaning "whitewater" takes its name from springs in the surrounding hills. There were also these old forms: Aygas vivas Aquisvivis, and Aiguesvives.

History

The first written mention of Aigues-Vives dates to 1301. The village was under the control of Mirepoix, ten miles to the north, until 1329, when Gaston de Lévis-Léran appropriated the castle and the surrounding lands. The village remained in the possession of the Lévis-Léran family until the Revolution.
The main industries in the 20th century were the making of "horn combs" and textiles, as is the case for much of the Pays d'Olmes.

Heraldry

Policy and administration

Municipal administration

Based on the number of inhabitants, the town has a council of 11 members.
List of mayors
FromToNamePartyPosition
20012008Ange Fernand Mendes
2008CurrentChristian MascarencDVG

Population and society

Population

Pyramid of ages

The population of the town is relatively young. The rate of people above the age of 60 years is lower than the national rate and the departmental level. Unlike national and departmental allocations, the male population of the town is greater than the female population.
The distribution of the population of the municipality by age groups is, in 2007, as follows:
52.2% of men ;
47.8% of women.
Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Aigues-Vives and Ariege Department in 2007
Aigues-VivesAigues-VivesAriegeAriege
Age RangeMenWomenMenWomen
0 to 14 Years21.917.216.915.4
15 to 29 Years15.09.715.613.9
30 to 44 Years21.923.919.518.9
45 to 59 Years26.530.722.321.0
60 to 74 Years13.110.915.816.5
75 to 89 Years1.56.39.312.7
90 Years+0.01.30.61.6

Sources:

Education

Aigues-Vives has a kindergarten and primary school, with 68 students.

Sports

Several sports facilities exist in Aigues-Vives: a football club, a gymnasium, a Tai-chi group, a bicycle club, and a leisure centre which has a go-karting track and a mini-golf area.

Health

There is no pharmacy or doctor in Aigues-Vives with the closest being at Laroque-d'Olmes about 3 kilometres away. The nearest hospital is in Lavelanet seven kilometres away.

Economy

Incomes of the population and taxation

In 2008, the median household income tax was €17,598, placing Aigues-Vives in 14,462th place out of the 31,604 communes of more than 50 households in France.

Employment, business and trade

The rate of unemployment in 2007 was 13.6% and slightly higher among women than men.
There are several companies in the building trades, particularly masonry and housepainting in Aigues-Vives and there is also a textile company and a website design business. There is an Asian caterer, a camping ground, and a Karting Club.
Agriculture and livestock is another sector of activity in Aigues-Vives: wheat, forage grass, and vines are grown, while cattle and sheep are also raised. The nearby forests are exploited and are rich in mushrooms.

Wind farm project

A project to create a wind farm on the ridges of the Serre du Tut was launched and then abandoned due to strong opposition, especially from the Association for the Preservation and Tourism and the Sites in the Pyrénées Mountains.

Local culture and heritage

Sites and monuments