The 'Saskatchewan River' (
Cree: ''kisiskāciwani-sīpiy'', "swift flowing river")is a major river in
Canada, approximately 550 km (340 mi) long, flowing roughly eastward across
Saskatchewan and
Manitoba to drain into
Lake Winnipeg. Through its tributaries the
North Saskatchewan and
South Saskatchewan, its watershed encompasses much of the
prairie regions of central Canada, stretching westward to the
Rocky Mountains in
Alberta and into northern
Montana in the
United States. It reaches approximately 1,939 km (1204 miles) to its furthest headwaters on the
Bow River, a tributary of the South Saskatchewan in Alberta.
Description
It is formed in central Saskatchewan, approximately 40 km (25 mi) east of
Prince Albert, by the confluence of its two major branches, the North Saskatchewan and the South Saskatchewan, at the
Saskatchewan River Forks. Both source rivers originate from
glaciers in the Alberta Rockies.
The combined stream flows east-northeast, into Codette Lake formed by the Francis Finlay dam at
Nipawin then into
Tobin Lake, formed by the
E. B. Campbell Dam. It then flows northeast, off the edge of the prairies of the
Great Plains onto the
Canadian Shield, passing through a region of marshes, where it is joined from the northwest by the
Torch River and the
Mossy River. At the northern edge of the marshes it flows east, twisting between a series of small lakes into west central Manitoba to
The Pas, where it is joined from the southwest by the
Carrot River. Southeast of The Pas, it forms several streams in a
delta on the northwest side of
Cedar Lake, then exiting the lake on its southeast end and flowing approximately 5 km (3 mi) to
Lake Winnipeg, entering on the northwest shore north of
Long Point.
The river, like the province of
Saskatchewan, takes its name from the
Cree word ''kisiskāciwani-sīpiy'', meaning "swift flowing river". The river and its tributaries provided an important route of transportation for
First Nations and early
European
trappers.
Hydroelectric power plants are built on the river at
Nipawin, and E.B. Campbell (formerly Squaw Rapids) in
Saskatchewan and at
Grand Rapids in
Manitoba.
In Popular Culture
The Saskatchewan River is featured in the
The Arrogant Worms song "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate".
See also
★
List of Manitoba rivers
★
List of Saskatchewan rivers
★
List of Alberta rivers
★
Manitoba Hydro
References
External links
★
Canadian Council for Geographic Education page with a series of articles on the history of the Saskatchewan River.
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