Milk River (Montana-Alberta)
Encyclopedia
The Milk River is a tributary of the Missouri River
, 729 mi (1,173.2 km) long, in the United States
state
of Montana
and the Canadian province of Alberta
. Rising in the Rocky Mountains
, the river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed
of 23800 mi2, ending just east of Fort Peck, Montana
.
in northwestern Montana, 21 miles (33.8 km) north of Browning, Montana
, by the confluence of its South and Middle forks. The 30 miles (48.3 km) long South Fork and 20 miles (32.2 km) long Middle Fork both rise in the Rocky Mountains
just east of Glacier National Park, in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
. Much of the water in the North Fork is diverted from the St. Mary River through a canal and inverted siphon.
The main stem flows east-northeast into southern Alberta, where it is joined by the North Fork of the Milk River, then east along the north side of the Sweetgrass Hills. It flows past the town of Milk River
and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
, then turns southeast into Montana, passing through the Fresno Dam
, then east past Havre
and along the north side of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
. Near Malta
, it turns north, then southeast, flowing past Glasgow
and joining the Missouri in Valley County, Montana
, 5 miles (8 km) downstream from Fort Peck Dam
.
The Milk is the northernmost major tributary of the Missouri, and thus represents the rough northern extent of the Mississippi watershed
. The small area drained by the Milk River in southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan
is one of two areas in Canada
that drain into the Gulf of Mexico
(The others are the Big Muddy Creek and Poplar River
watersheds which extend into Canada in Saskatchewan.)
, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
, who described the river in his journal:
This appearance results from clays and silts suspended in its waters. These extremely fine-grained sediments are the result of the erosion of soft clay-rich rocks along the Milk River basin in southern Alberta.
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, 729 mi (1,173.2 km) long, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and the Canadian province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Rising in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, the river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 23800 mi2, ending just east of Fort Peck, Montana
Fort Peck, Montana
Fort Peck is a town in Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 240 at the 2000 census.-History:The name Fort Peck is associated with Col. Campbell K. Peck, the partner of Elias H. Durfee in the Leavenworth, Kansas, trading firm of Durfee and Peck...
.
Geography
It is formed in Glacier CountyGlacier County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Glacier National Park * Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,247 people, 4,304 households, and 3,245 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 5,243 housing units...
in northwestern Montana, 21 miles (33.8 km) north of Browning, Montana
Browning, Montana
Browning is a town in Glacier County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,016 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Browning is located at ....
, by the confluence of its South and Middle forks. The 30 miles (48.3 km) long South Fork and 20 miles (32.2 km) long Middle Fork both rise in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
just east of Glacier National Park, in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
Blackfeet Indian Reservation
The Blackfeet Indian Reservation or Blackfeet Nation is an Indian reservation of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana in the United States. It is located east of Glacier National Park and borders Canada to the north. Cut Bank Creek and Birch Creek make up part of its eastern and southern borders...
. Much of the water in the North Fork is diverted from the St. Mary River through a canal and inverted siphon.
The main stem flows east-northeast into southern Alberta, where it is joined by the North Fork of the Milk River, then east along the north side of the Sweetgrass Hills. It flows past the town of Milk River
Milk River, Alberta
Milk River is a town in the province of Alberta, Canada, located on and named after the Milk River, which flows immediately to its south. It is south of Lethbridge, and from the Canada-U.S. border. It is primarily a service centre for the many farms and cattle ranches which surround...
and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is located about 100 kilometres southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada or 44 kilometres east of the community of Milk River, and straddles the Milk River itself. It is one of the largest areas of protected prairie in the Alberta park system, and serves as both a...
, then turns southeast into Montana, passing through the Fresno Dam
Fresno Dam
Fresno Dam is a dam on the Milk River, a tributary of the Missouri River, upstream of Havre, Montana. The dam is part of the Milk River Project, owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It serves mainly to provide irrigation water and some of its capacity is also reserved for flood control. The dam...
, then east past Havre
Havre, Montana
Havre is a city in, and the county seat of, Hill County, Montana, United States. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. The population was 9,621 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and along the north side of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering 1,014.064 sq mi , and is located in north central Montana. This includes the main portion of their homeland, as well as off-reservation trust land. It is shared by two Native American tribes, the...
. Near Malta
Malta, Montana
Malta is a city in and the county seat of Phillips County, Montana, United States, located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 2 and 191. The population was 2,120 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, it turns north, then southeast, flowing past Glasgow
Glasgow, Montana
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,253 at the 2000 census.-History:Glasgow was founded in 1887 as a railroad town by James J. Hill, who was responsible for creating many communities along the Hi-Line. The town was named after...
and joining the Missouri in Valley County, Montana
Valley County, Montana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,675 people, 3,150 households, and 2,129 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 4,847 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
, 5 miles (8 km) downstream from Fort Peck Dam
Fort Peck Dam
The Fort Peck Dam is the highest of six major dams along the Missouri River, located in northeast Montana in the United States, near Glasgow, and adjacent to the community of Fort Peck...
.
The Milk is the northernmost major tributary of the Missouri, and thus represents the rough northern extent of the Mississippi watershed
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The small area drained by the Milk River in southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
is one of two areas in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that drain into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
(The others are the Big Muddy Creek and Poplar River
Poplar River (Saskatchewan-Montana)
The Poplar River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 167 mi long in Saskatchewan in Canada and Montana in the United States....
watersheds which extend into Canada in Saskatchewan.)
History
The Milk River was given its name by Captain Meriwether LewisMeriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
, who described the river in his journal:
- "the water of this river possesses a peculiar whiteness, being about the colour of a cup of tea with the admixture of a tablespoonfull of milk. from the colour of its water we called it Milk river."
This appearance results from clays and silts suspended in its waters. These extremely fine-grained sediments are the result of the erosion of soft clay-rich rocks along the Milk River basin in southern Alberta.
See also
- Montana Stream Access LawMontana Stream Access LawThe Montana Stream Access Law says that anglers, floaters and other recreationists in Montana have full use of most natural waterways between the high water marks for fishing and floating, along with swimming and other river or stream-related activities...
- List of longest rivers of Canada
- List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem)
- List of rivers of Montana
- List of rivers of Alberta