Saskatchewan River
Saskatchewan River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Canada |
Region | Manitoba, Saskatchewan |
Physical characteristics | |
2nd source | Confluence of North and South Saskatchewan Rivers |
• location | 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan |
• coordinates | 53°14′6″N 105°4′58″W / 53.23500°N 105.08278°W |
• elevation | 380 m (1,250 ft) |
Mouth | Lake Winnipeg |
• location | Grand Rapids, Manitoba |
• coordinates | 53°11′6″N 99°15′22″W / 53.18500°N 99.25611°W |
• elevation | 220 m (720 ft) |
Length | 547 km (340 mi) |
Basin size | 335,900 km2 (129,700 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• location | The Pas, Manitoba |
• average | 634 m3/s (22,400 cu ft/s) |
• minimum | 54 m3/s (1,900 cu ft/s) |
• maximum | 3,000 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
River system | Nelson River |
[1][2][3] |
The Saskatchewan River (
Including its tributaries, it reaches 1,939 kilometres (1,205 mi) to its farthest headwaters on the Bow River, a tributary of the South Saskatchewan in Alberta.[4]
Description
It is formed in central Saskatchewan, approximately 40 kilometres (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 St. Mary River, draining the Hudson Bay Divide region of Glacier National Park (U.S.), also empties into the Saskatchewan River via the south fork.
The combined stream flows east-northeast, into Codette Lake formed by the
The river, like the province of
Hydroelectric developments
Operating hydroelectric facilities
In Saskatchewan, SaskPower owns and operates E.B. Campbell (289 MW, formerly Squaw Rapids) and Nipawin (255 MW) Hydroelectric Stations.
In Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro owns and operates Grand Rapids Generating Station.[6]
Proposed hydroelectric facilities
The Choiceland Generating Station would be located 51 km (32 mi) upstream of the Nipawin site. It would consist of four 150 MW generating units, providing 300 MW of baseload power, and an additional 300 MW of peaking power.
The Forks Generating Station would be located 18 km (11 mi) downstream of the North and South Saskatchewan River Forks, and would be approximately the same size as the Nipawin Station (255 MW of baseload power, and 420 MW of peak power).[7] In 2019, James Smith Cree Nation began developing the project with AECOM and Tesla Energy.[8]
History
The river, labelled as the "Kish-stock-ewen" is identified on a Hudson's Bay Company map of 1760, produced from oral information from a First Nations man named Attickasish who had been Anthony Henday's guide. Another map from 1774 shows a fairly accurate course of the river.[9][10]
The Saskatchewan River and its two major tributaries formed an important transportation route during the
First Nations inhabiting the area of the rivers included at one time or another the
In the mid-19th century
The earliest settlements in Saskatchewan and Alberta generally were established around the rivers. Examples include
Fur trade on the lower river: The first European to ascend the river as far as the forks was Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye in spring 1739. The main posts on the river were (landmarks in parentheses): (Saskatchewan River Forks) Fort La Jonquière (?), Fort de la Corne, Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, (The Pas):second Fort Paskoya, (inflow to Cedar Lake:) first Fort Paskoya and second Fort Bourbon, (Cedar Lake), (inflow to Lake Winnipeg:) Grand Rapids, Manitoba, and first Fort Bourbon. There were also a number of temporary posts that have left few records. By far the most important post was Cumberland House which was the depot for the route northwest to the rich Athabasca country. To the west, the North Saskatchewan had the greatest number of posts. North Saskatchewan is the northern-most major river of the western prairies that flows into the Hudson Bay.
In popular culture
The Saskatchewan River, and its two main tributaries, are featured in
Fish species
Fish species include: walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, lake whitefish, mooneye, goldeye, white sucker, longnose sucker, shorthead redhorse, burbot, rainbow trout, brown trout, and lake sturgeon. In 2008 the presence of reproducing Prussian carp were found in the Red Deer River drainage basin which flows into the Saskatchewan River.[13][14] Illegal introductions of non native species can have serious wide-ranging negative impacts on the ecosystem. While the exact species is not yet determined the genus is Carassius. The Blue Ribbon Bow River Trout fishery may be at risk as a result of this introduction. Illegal introductions of Carassius can be very harmful.[15]
See also
- List of longest rivers of Canada
- List of rivers of Manitoba
- List of rivers of Saskatchewan
- List of rivers of Alberta
- Dragline Channel
- Watershed management
- Saskatchewan River Delta
- Saskatchewan River fur trade
Further reading
- Myrna Kostash, "Reading the River: A Traveller's Companion to the North Saskatchewan River",2005
References
- ^ "Summary of the State of the Saskatchewan River Basin" (PDF). 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ "Atlas of Canada Toporama". Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ "Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Geographical Names (Saskatchewan River)". Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ "Rivers Flowing Into Hudson Bay, James Bay or Ungava Bay". The Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ "Saskatchewan River Delta, Manitoba, Canada October 29, 2007". NASA. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ "Grand Rapids Generating Station". Province of Manitoba: Environment, Climate and Parks. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- .
- ^ Piller, Thomas. "First Nation planning hydro-electric facility on Saskatchewan river". Global News. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- OCLC 607571130.
- ISBN 9781552381946.
- ^ Hawkes, John (1924), Saskatchewan and its people Volume 1 (Steamboating in the old days), Chicago: Clark
- ^ ""The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" Lyrics". LetsSingIt.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores... A bridge outside of Moose Jaw... Sailin down to Saskatoon
- ^ Haag, J.J. and White, J.S. 2008. 2008 Fish Survey in Recently Dewatered Western Irrigation District Canals. Prepared for: Western Irrigation District by Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd., Edmonton, November 2008
- ^ Haag, J.J., White, J.S., and Logan, M. 2010. 2009 Fish Survey in Recently Dewatered Western Irrigation District Canals. Prepared for: Western Irrigation District by Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd., Edmonton, February 2010.
- ^ Balık, İ; Karaşahin, B (2003). "Diet of Silver Crucian Carp Carasssius gibelio in Lake Eğirdir" (PDF). Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 3: 87–91.
External links
- Saskatchewan and its people Volume 1 (Steamboating in the old days)
- Canadian Council for Geographic Education page with a series of articles on the history of the Saskatchewan River.
- Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin
- Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan