| Le Truel | |
| Commune Status: | Commune |
| Image Coat Of Arms: | Blason ville fr Le Truel 12.svg |
| Arrondissement: | Millau |
| Canton: | Raspes et Lévezou |
| Insee: | 12284 |
| Postal Code: | 12430 |
| Mayor: | Jean-Pierre Alibert[1] |
| Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Coordinates: | 44.0503°N 2.7556°W |
| Elevation M: | 260 |
| Elevation Min M: | 260 |
| Elevation Max M: | 828 |
| Area Km2: | 26.48 |
Le Truel (in French pronounced as /lə tʁyɛl/; Occitan (post 1500);: Lo Truèlh) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. The village was in the ancient province of Rouergue where they spoke in the rouergat patois of Occitan.
The commune is on the southern edge of the Massif Central. The hamlets to the north have commanding views of the Cevennes and the Millau Viaduct, which is to the west. The commune is approached along the D200 which connects it to the A75 autoroute. The D200 runs alongside the Tarn which has been dammed and provides the power for two hydro-electric generating plants, Jourdanie and Le Pouget.
The economy is rural and traditionally was based on the raising of sheep to produce milk for sheep cheeses such as Roquefort. The agriculture has diversified into the raising of veal calves.
The Tarn has been dammed there and electricity is generated by two Kaplan turbines producing 27 KW.[2]
See main article: Le Pouget (power station). Adjacent to the Barrage du Truel at 275 metres, is the Le Pouget power station. It is powered by waters from the Lévézou plateau delivered by penstocks from the Lac de Villefranche-de-Panat and the Lac de Saint-Amans both at 727 m. Le Pouget delivers 440 MW.[2]