<P> The WWF were particularly important in changing the perception of the French authorities in support for dam building to environmental protection and sustainable management of its river basin . In 1992, they aided the' Loire Nature' project, which received funds of some $US 9 million under the EU's' LIFE' programme until 1999, embarking upon restoration to the river's ecosystems and wildlife . That year, the Upper Loire Valley Farmers Association was also established through a partnership between SOS Loire Vivante and a farmers' union to promote sustainable rural tourism . The French government adopted the Natural Loire River Plan (Plan Loire Grandeur Nature) in January 1994, initiating the decommissioning of three dams on the river . The final dam was decommissioned by Électricité de France at a cost of 7 million francs in 1998 . The basis of the decision was that the economic benefits of the dams did not outweigh their significant ecological impacts, so the intention was to restore the riverine ecosystems and replenish great Loire salmon stocks . The Loire is unique in this respect as the Atlantic salmon can swim as far as 900 km (560 mi) up the river and spawn in the upper reaches of the Allier . The French government undertook this major plan, chiefly because pollution and overfishing had reduced approximately 100,000 salmon migrating annually to their spawning grounds in the headwaters of the Loire and its tributaries to just 67 salmon in 1996 on the upper Allier . </P> <P> The WWF, BirdLife International, and local conservation bodies have also made considerable efforts to improve the conservation of the Loire estuary and its surroundings, given that they are unique habitats for migrating birds . The estuary and its shoreline are also important for fishing, shellfish farming and tourism . The major commercial port at Nantes has caused severe damage to the ecosystem of the Loire estuary . In 2002, the WWF aided a second Loire Nature project and expanded its scope to the entire basin, addressing some 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) of land under a budget of US $18 million, mainly funded by government and public bodies, such as the Établissement Publique Loire (EPL), a public institution which had formerly advocated large - scale dam projects on the river . </P> <Table> Loire <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Château d'Azay - le - Rideau </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> UNESCO World Heritage Site </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Official name </Th> <Td> The Loire Valley between Sully - sur - Loire and Chalonnes </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Allier, Ardèche, Cher, Indre - et - Loire, Loir - et - Cher, Loire, Haute - Loire, Loire - Atlantique, Loiret, Maine - et - Loire, Nièvre, Saône - et - Loire, France </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Coordinates </Th> <Td> 47 ° 23 ′ 56" N 0 ° 42 ′ 10" E ﻿ / ﻿ 47.39889 ° N 0.70278 ° E ﻿ / 47.39889; 0.70278 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Criteria </Th> <Td> Cultural: i, ii, iv </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Reference </Th> <Td> 933 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Inscription </Th> <Td> 2000 (24th Session) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Location of Loire </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Château d'Azay - le - Rideau </Td> </Tr>

Where is the loire river located on a map