North Saskatchewan River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river flowing east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River.
The Saskatchewan River system is the largest in western Canada, including most of southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan, and crossing into central Manitoba. [1]
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[edit] Natural History
The North Saskatchewan has been designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1989, for its importance in opening up western Canada. [2] The long west-east course facilitated travel, and was used for exploration, trade, and settlement from 1807 (when the first fur traders crossed the region) to the beginning of the 20th century. The upper course, flowing through Banff National Park, has a valued natural heritage.
[edit] Course
North Saskatchewan river has a length of 1,287 km (800 mi), and a drainage area of 122,800 km².[3] At its end point at Saskatchewan River Forks it has a mean discharge of 245 m³/s. The yearly discharge at the Alberta/Saskatchewan border is more than 7 billion m³.[4]
- The river begins above 1,800 metres at the toe of the Saskatchewan Glacier in the Columbia Icefield, and flows southeast through Banff National Park alongside the Icefields Parkway.
- At the junction of the David Thompson Highway (Highway 11), it initially turns northeast for 10 kilometres before switching to a more direct eastern flow for about 30 km. At this point, it turns north where it eventually arrives at Abraham Lake.
- Bighorn Dam constricts the north end of Abraham Lake, where the North Saskatchewan emerges to track eastward to Rocky Mountain House.
- At Rocky Mountain House, the river abruptly turns north again for 100 km where it switches east towards Edmonton, Alberta.
- In Edmonton, the river passes through the centre of the city in a northeasterly direction and out towards Smoky Lake at which point it quickly changes to the southeast and then more to the east as it makes it way to the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary.
- From the Saskatchewan boundary, the river flows southeast between North Battleford and Battleford and on in the direction of Saskatoon.
- About 40 km northwest of Saskatoon, near Langham, the river veers to the northeast where it passes through Prince Albert.
- About 30 km east of Prince Albert, the North Saskatchewan River joins the South Saskatchewan River at Saskatchewan River Forks to become the Saskatchewan River. From here, the river flows east to Tobin Lake and into Manitoba, eventually emptying into Lake Winnipeg.
[edit] Tributaries
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Alberta
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Saskatchewan
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[edit] Photo gallery
 North Saskatchewan River and Abraham Lake from space |
 The river covered in a sheet of ice in Edmonton |
 Bridge over North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton |
 North Saskatchewan River near Myrnam, Alberta |
[edit] References
- ^ Saskatchewan River (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service
- ^ Canadian Heritage River System - North Saskatchewan River
- ^ Atlas of Canada - Major Rivers in Canada
- ^ Alberta Environment - Alberta river basins
| Rivers and Lakes of Alberta | ||
|---|---|---|
| Major Rivers | Athabasca · Beaver · Hay · Milk · North Saskatchewan · Peace · Red Deer · Slave · South Saskatchewan |
 |
| Other Rivers | Battle · Bow · Brazeau · Chinchaga · Crowsnest · Clearwater · Elbow · Firebag · Lesser Slave · Little Smoky · Oldman · Pembina · Petitot · Sheep · Smoky · Sunwapta · Wabasca · Wapiti · (more...) | |
| Major Lakes | Athabasca · Bistcho · Claire · Lesser Slave | |
| Other Lakes | Abraham · Beaverhill · Brûlé · Calling · Cold · La Biche · Louise · Maligne · Minnewanka · Moraine · Peyto · Pigeon · Pinehurst · Pyramid · Skeleton · Sylvan · Utikuma · Vermilion · Wabamun · Waterton · Zama · (more...) | |
