| Oldman River | |
|---|---|
 Oldman River seen fromVeterans Memorial Highway | |
 The South Saskatchewan River drainage basin | |
  The mouth in Alberta Show map of Alberta Oldman River (Canada) Show map of Canada | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Canadian Rockies |
| • coordinates | 50°06′50″N114°43′14″W / 50.11389°N 114.72056°W /50.11389; -114.72056 |
| • elevation | 2,100 m (6,900 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | South Saskatchewan River |
• coordinates | 49°55′45″N111°41′27.4″W / 49.92917°N 111.690944°W /49.92917; -111.690944 |
• elevation | 701 m (2,300 ft) |
| Length | 363 km (226 mi) |
| Basin size | 26,700 km2 (10,300 sq mi)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 95 m3/s (3,400 cu ft/s)[1] |
TheOldman River is ariver insouthern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from theRocky Mountains, through the communities ofFort Macleod,Lethbridge, and on toGrassy Lake, where it joins theBow River to form theSouth Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into theHudson Bay.
Oldman River has a total length of 362 kilometres (225 mi) and a drainage area of 26,700 km2 (10,300 sq mi).[1]
The river is named after Napi, a figure inBlackfoot mythology, who is also referred to as the "Old Man."[2]
The Oldman River was, at one time, known as the Belly River.[3] TheBelly River is now a separate river that is a tributary of the Oldman.
In 1991, the Alberta government finished construction of theOldman River Dam. ThePiikani activistMilton Born With A Tooth had attempted to divert the Oldman River away from the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District canal intake. This led to an armed standoff and his eventual imprisonment.[4] The dam was constructed where the Oldman, Crowsnest, and Castle river systems converge.
On June 21, 2013, during the2013 Alberta floods Alberta experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding throughout much of the southern half of the province along theBow,Elbow,Highwood and Oldman rivers and tributaries. A dozen municipalities in Southern Alberta declared local states of emergency on June 21 as water levels rose and numerous communities were placed under evacuation orders.[5]
From headwaters to mouth, Oldman River receives:
Oldman River originates in theBeehive Natural Area,[6] an area ofalpine tundra and old-growthspruce andfir forests. Downstream it flows throughBob Creek Wildland Provincial Park[7] andBlack Creek Heritage Rangeland.[8]Oldman Dam andOldman River are other Provincial Recreation Areas established along the river.
The river and some of its tributaries have formedcoulees in Southern Alberta, and the strata revealed by these formations guide local prospectors toammolite deposits.
The Oldman River contains fish species such asrainbow trout,cutthroat trout,bull trout,brown trout, hybrid trout species ("cutbow" rainbow and cutthroat cross),mountain whitefish,pike,walleye,lake sturgeon,catostomidae,goldeye, andminnows.[9]
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