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| North Saskatchewan River | |
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| Origin | Saskatchewan Glacier |
| Mouth | Saskatchewan River Forks |
| Basin countries |  Canada |
| Length | 1,287 km (800 mi) |
| Source elevation | 2,080 m (6,824 ft) |
| Mouth elevation | 380 m (1,247 ft) |
| Avg. discharge | 245 m³/s |
| Basin area | 122,800 km² (47,413.3 sq mi) |
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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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.
Edmonton's North Saskatchewan River valley parks system is the largest system of urban parks in Canada, and covers both sides of the river valley's course through Edmonton.
The Bridge River Ash is in the vicinity of the North Saskarchewan River, which was erupted from Mount Meager in southwestern British Columbia about 2350 years ago.
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.
The river course can be divided into five distinct sections. The first, the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, is the smallest area geographically, although the largest in terms of run-off and contributed water flow. The glaciers and perpetual snows of the mountain peaks feed the river year-round. Mountains, with little vegetation, experience the fasting melting snow cover. The second section of the river comprises the foothills region. The terrain is hilly and rough, with a deeper and more defined valley. This area is well covered with forest and muskeg, and run-off into the river is much more constant and stable than in the mountains.
From Edmonton to the mouth of the Vermilion River, the North Saskatchewan flows through the plains-parkland divide, with occasional stretches of prairie. Here the river runs in a well-defined valley with deep cuts in the landscape. The fourth section, from the Vermilion River to Prince Albert is principally prairie with a few small stretches of timber and secondary forest cover. The valley of the river is much wider, and the river itself spreads out across shallow water and flows over many shifting sand bars. Low-lying, flat areas, border the river for much of this section.
The final section of the river, from Prince Albert to the Forks, has many rapids. The valley is more shallow than the previous sections of the river, and the channel is much better defined. There is little prairie and much tree cover in this section.5
Hydroelectric Development
The first hydroelectric development on the North Saskatchewan was planned in 1910 near the town of Drayton Valley. Funding for the plan came from a British Syndicate; design and construction were to be carried out by the Edmonton Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. The development was shelved after the outbreak of World War I.6
The Bighorn Dam was constructed near Nordegg and created Lake Abraham, one of the largest reservoirs in Alberta. The dam was constructed in 1971 by Transalta.7
One of the North Saskatchewan's major tributaries, the Brazeau River, houses the Brazeau Hydroelectric Dam. The Brazeau Dam is Alberta's largest hydroelectric facility, and was built in 1965 by Transalta.8
Tributaries
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Photo gallery
 Boating in Edmonton, with a view of the High Level Bridge across the river |
 A view of the river looking south from Edmonton's Glenora neighborhood |
 The Light Rail Transit (LRT) bridge across the river in central Edmonton |
 Driftwood on the river bank near the Groat Bridge in Edmonton |
 Dudley B. Menzies Bridge (Edmonton Light Rail Transit and pedestrian bridge) over North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton |
 The river covered in a sheet of ice in Edmonton |
 North Saskatchewan River and Abraham Lake from space |
 North Saskatchewan River near Myrnam, Alberta |
See also
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". Retrieved on 2007-05-01.
- ^ Alberta Environment - Alberta river basins
- ^ Surveys of the North Saskatchewan River: 1910-1915. Edmonton: Government of the Province of Alberta, Department of Water Resources, 1917. Pages 50-53.
- ^ Loosmore, W. S. B. To Trail's End: Early Settlement in Drayton Valley. Drayton Valley: Drayton Valley and District Historical Society, 1994. Pages 10-14.
- ^ Bighorn Dam Transalta, (2008)
- ^ Brazeau Dam Transalta (2008)
- ^ Milholland, Billie. North Saskatchewan River Guide: Mountain to Prairie a Living Landscape. Edmonton: North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, 2002.
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