South Saskatchewan River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| South Saskatchewan River | |
| River | |
 The University Bridge over the South Saskatchewan River at Saskatoon
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| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| State | Alberta, Saskatchewan |
| Source confluence | Oldman and Bow Rivers |
| - location | Taber, Alberta |
| - elevation | 700 m (2,297 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Mouth | Saskatchewan River |
| - location | Saskatchewan River Forks, Saskatchewan |
| - elevation | 380 m (1,247 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Length | 805 km (500 mi) |
| Basin | 146,100 km² (56,410 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 280 m³/s (9,888 cu ft/s) |
 The Saskatchewan River drainage basin
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The South Saskatchewan River (French: rivière Saskatchewan Sud) is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ice breaks and dangerous conditions in Saskatoon and elsewhere. At least one bridge in Saskatoon was destroyed by ice carried by the river. The construction of the Gardiner Dam in the 1960s, however, lessened the power of the river and by the 1980s many permanent sandbars had formed due to the lowering of the level of the river.
From the headwaters of the Bow River, the South Saskatchewan flows for 1,392 kilometers (865 mi). At its mouth at Saskatchewan River Forks, it has an average discharge of 280 m³/s, and has a watershed of 146,100 km², 1,800 of which are in Montana in the USA, and 144,300 km² in Alberta. [1]
[edit] Course
The river originates at the confluence of the Bow and Oldman Rivers near Grassy Lake. The waters of these two rivers, in turn, originate from glaciers in the Rocky Mountains near the British Columbia border.
The reservoir created with the construction of the Gardiner and Qu'Appelle River dams in Saskatchewan. Water from the South Saskatchewan flowing through the dams provides much of the electricity in the province.
Downstream from the dam the river flows north through Saskatoon and joins the North Saskatchewan River east of Prince Albert at the Saskatchewan River Forks — thus forming the Saskatchewan River. For approximately 60 km near Saskatoon, the Meewasin Valley Authority is responsible for conservation of the river environment.
Numerous lakes in the Saskatoon area were formed by oxbows of the South Saskatchewan River, most notably Moon Lake and Pike Lake.
[edit] Tributaries
- Bow
- Oldman River
- Seven Persons Creek
- Red Deer River
- Teepee Creek
- Landing Creek
- Smith Creek
- Valentine Creek
- Pine Lake Creek
- Brightwater Creek
- Beaver Creek (Saskatchewan)
- Fish Creek, Saskatchewan
[edit] References
- ^ Atlas of Canada. Rivers in Canada. Retrieved on 2007-05-01.
(Webpage shows that the South Saskatchewan River has a much higher flow than the Saskatchewan River. But since the South is a tributary of the Saskatchewan River, it must be assumed that the data is reversed.)
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