Red Deer River
| Red Deer River | |
|---|---|
 Red Deer River in Drumheller, Alberta |
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| Origin | Sawback Range, Red Deer Lakes 51°31′56″N 116°02′31″W / 51.53221°N 116.04201°W |
| Mouth | South Saskatchewan River near Empress 50°55′23″N 109°53′42″W / 50.92315°N 109.89493°WCoordinates: 50°55′23″N 109°53′42″W / 50.92315°N 109.89493°W |
| Basin countries |  Canada |
| Length | 724 kilometers (450 mi) |
| Source elevation | 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) |
| Mouth elevation | 579 meters (1,900 ft) |
| Avg. discharge | 70 m³/s[1] |
| Basin area | 45,100 square kilometers (17,400 sq mi) |
The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River.
Red Deer River has a total length of 724 kilometers (450 mi) and a drainage area of 45,100 square kilometers (17,400 sq mi). Its mean discharge is 70 m³/s.[1]
The river got its name from the translation of Was-ka-soo which means "elk river" in the Cree.[citation needed]
Communities located along the Red Deer River include Sundre, Red Deer, Blackfalds and Drumheller. The city of Brooks is also located in the Red Deer River Basin.
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[edit] Course
The river originates on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies, in the Sawback Range inside Banff National Park, and then flows east through the mountains and foothills region. It turns north-east before Sundre and keeps this heading to the city of Red Deer, where it turns east, and then south before Stettler. It flows south with its valley protected by provincial and regional parks such as Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland, Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, Dry Island Corridor and Midland Provincial Park. At Drumheller it has a south-east direction, and while it flows through Dinosaur Provincial Park it turns east and flows to the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, which it crosses at Empress. It flows for 16 km through Saskatchewan before it merges into the South Saskatchewan River.
[edit] Tributaries
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2010) |
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The waters of Ewing Lake, Little Fish Lake also flow into the Red Deer River.
[edit] Gallery
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Flowing through the city of Red Deer
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Red Deer River north of Jenner, Alberta
[edit] See also
- List of longest rivers of Canada
- List of rivers of Alberta
- List of rivers of Saskatchewan
- Glacial Lake Bassano
[edit] References
- ^ a b Atlas of Canada. "Rivers in Canada". http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/rivers.html. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
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