Canadian River
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The Canadian River is the longest
tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
in the United States. It is about long, starting in
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
and traveling through
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, the
Texas Panhandle The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to ...
, and
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. The drainage area is about .Dianna Everett, "Canadian River." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Retrieved October 7, 2013.
The Canadian is sometimes referred to as the South Canadian River to differentiate it from the
North Canadian River The North Canadian River is a river, long, in Oklahoma in the United States. It is a tributary of the Canadian River, draining an area of U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset/Watershed Boundary Dataset, area data covering North ...
that flows into it.


Etymology

On John C. Fremont's route map of 1845, the river's name is listed as "Goo-al-pah or Canadian River" from the Comanche and
Kiowa Kiowa () people are a Native American tribe and an indigenous people of the Great Plains of the United States. They migrated southward from western Montana into the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in the 17th and 18th centuries,Pritzker 326 and eve ...
name for the river (Kiowa ''gúlvàu'', 'red river'). In 1929, Muriel H. Wright wrote that the Canadian River was named about 1820 by French traders who noted another group of traders from Canada (''
Canadiens French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...
'') had camped on the river near its confluence with the Arkansas River. According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Spanish explorers in the 17th and 18th centuries called it the ''Rio Buenaventura'' and the ''Magdalena''. The upper part was called ''Rio Colorado'' by the Spanish. A more recent explanation comes from
William Bright William O. Bright (August 13, 1928 – October 15, 2006) was an American linguist and toponymist who specialized in Native American and South Asian languages and descriptive linguistics. Biography Bright earned a bachelor's degree in lingui ...
, who wrote that the name is "probably derived from ''Río Canadiano''", a Spanish spelling of the Caddo word ''káyántinu'', which was the
Caddo people The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...
's name for the nearby Red River. The name could be of Spanish origin from the word ''cañada'' (meaning "glen"), as the Canadian River formed a steep canyon in northern New Mexico and a somewhat broad canyon in Texas. A few historical records document that explanation. Edward Hale, writing in 1929, considered the French origin of the name most probable. In fact, the river was regularly used by Canadian fur traders (such as Louis Feuilli and Jean Chapuis, as well as the Mallet Brothers) trying to establish contact with Santa Fe as early as 1752.


History

The first European to explore the Canadian River was
Juan de Oñate Juan de Oñate y Salazar (; 1550–1626) was a Spanish conquistador from New Spain, explorer, and colonial governor of the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México in the viceroyalty of New Spain. He led early Spanish expeditions to the Great ...
, the Spanish Governor of New Mexico, who followed the river from its origin to the western plains of what is now Oklahoma in 1601. Spanish traders and hunters were soon actively working in this area. French voyageurs were active along the lower Canadian.
Bénard de la Harpe Benard or Bénard is a surname or given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Abraham-Joseph Bénard (1750–1822), French actor of the Comédie-Française * Aimé Bénard (1873–1938), Canadian politician * Alexander Benard, Am ...
explored between the mouth of the river and the
Kiamichi Mountains The Kiamichi Mountains (Choctaw: ''Nʋnih Chaha Kiamitia'') are a mountain range in southeastern Oklahoma. A subrange within the larger Ouachita Mountains that extend from Oklahoma to western Arkansas, the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore, ...
in 1715. Pierre and Paul Mallet followed the entire length of the river in 1740, as did another expedition led by Fabry de La Bruyere in 1741. The
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
in 1803 resulted in all of the land east of the New Mexico border being acquired by the United States. In 1818, the Quapaw tribe ceded all its land north of the Canadian to the United States, thus making this river the effective southern boundary of the new nation. In 1825, the Osage ceded their claims to land along the river. The Canadian was designated as the boundary between the Creek-Seminole lands on the north side and the Choctaw (and later the Chickasaw) on the south side. Major Stephen H. Long led an expedition up the Canadian River in 1821. He proclaimed the land along the river as the
Great American Desert The term Great American Desert was used in the 19th century to describe the part of North America east of the Rocky Mountains to about the 100th meridian. It can be traced to Stephen H. Long's 1820 scientific expedition which put the Great Am ...
. Despite this assessment, trading posts were established along the river, starting with Edwards' Post at the mouth of Little River.
Camp Holmes Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
was established by Colonel Henry Dodge's Dragoons in 1834. Captain Nathan Boone led a dragoon troop up the river to the 100th Meridian, which was then the western border of the United States. ''See also: Stephen H. Long's Expedition of 1820'' The
Treaty of Doak's Stand The Treaty of Doak's Stand (7 Stat. 210, also known as Treaty with the Choctaw) was signed on October 18, 1820 (proclaimed on January 8, 1821) between the United States and the Choctaw Indian tribe. Based on the terms of the accord, the Chocta ...
in 1820, made the Canadian River the northern boundary of the Choctaw Nation. Early immigrants to
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
followed the south bank of the Canadian to Santa Fe. In 1845 the river was explored by Lieutenants
James William Abert James William Abert (November 18, 1820 – August 10, 1897) was an American soldier, explorer, bird collector and topographical artist. Early life Abert, the son of John James Abert,U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. Their journey was chronicled in the ''Journal of Lieutenant J.W. Abert from Bent's Fort to St. Louis'', first published in 1846.
Randolph B. Marcy Randolph Barnes Marcy (April 9, 1812 – November 22, 1887) was an officer in the United States Army, chiefly noted for his frontier guidebook, the ''Prairie Traveler'' (1859), based on his own extensive experience of pioneering in the west. This p ...
commanded a military expedition to lay out a trail along the Canadian River in 1849. The trail, which was thereafter called the
California Road According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, there were two trails that may have been known as the California Road at the time of the California Gold Rush. A southerly route, which ran through present-day Oklahoma (then known onl ...
, followed the south side of the river and was soon followed by large numbers of emigrants to California via Santa Fe, especially after the 1849 discovery of gold in California. Travel along the road was sharply curtailed during the American Civil War, as Union and Confederate forces fought for control of
Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
. Lieutenant
Amiel Weeks Whipple Amiel Weeks Whipple (October 21, 1817 – May 7, 1863)Anderson, TSHA was an American military officer and topographical engineer. He served as a brigadier general in the American Civil War, where he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chance ...
led an expedition in 1853 to find a railroad route across Indian Territory. It covered some of the same ground as that explored by Abert and Marcy. Whipple's group provided extensive reports about the region's flora and fauna. However, the group's cost estimates discouraged proponents from building a railroad along the proposed route. However, the cumulative reports of Abert, Marcy, and Whipple changed public opinion about "The Great American Desert" and encouraged interest in developing the region. In 1890, when Oklahoma Territory was proclaimed, the river formed part of the boundary between Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. This boundary was eradicated when the State of Oklahoma was created in 1907.


Course

The river rises on the east side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, around above sea level, in remote southwestern
Las Animas County, Colorado Las Animas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,555. The county seat is Trinidad. The county takes its name from the Mexican Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, originally c ...
, roughly north of the New Mexico border. An upper tributary of the Vermejo River heads around in elevation in the Culebra Range and has a confluence with the Canadian south of Maxwell, New Mexico. Overall, the meandering course is from its origin to its confluence with the Arkansas River. The main tributaries are the North Canadian,
Little Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
, and
Deep Fork River The Deep Fork River (Deep Fork of the North Canadian) is an Oklahoma tributary of the North Canadian River. The headwaters flow from northern Oklahoma City and the river empties into the North Canadian River, now impounded by Lake Eufaula. Course ...
s. After rising in Colorado, the Canadian flows east-southeast across the New Mexico border, then south, passing west of
Raton, New Mexico Raton ( ) is a city and the county seat of Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 miles west of Texas. His ...
. It forms a deep canyon south of
Springer, New Mexico Springer is a town in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 1,047 at the 2010 census. History In 1877, William T Thornton, representing the Maxwell Land Grand and Railway Company commissioned Melvin Whitson Mills to "s ...
. The Sabinoso Wilderness area is located in side canyons near the river. At its first
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
at Conchas Lake, the river turns eastward. It is also dammed at
Logan, New Mexico Logan is a village in Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,042 at the 2010 census. History Logan was born when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad constructed a bridge over the Canadian River. Eugene Logan was ...
, where it forms Ute Lake. From there it crosses the
Texas Panhandle The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to ...
, dammed at
Sanford, Texas Sanford is a town in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 164 at the 2010 census, down from 203 at the 2000 census. On December 28, 1974, ''Hee Haw'' Season 6, Episode 16, Red Steagall saluted his hometown of Sanford, pop ...
, where it forms
Lake Meredith Lake Meredith is a reservoir formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River at Sanford, Texas. It is about northeast of Amarillo, Texas in the Texas Panhandle. It historically was a major source of drinking water for Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, ...
. The canyon the river carves through eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle is the northern border of the Llano Estacado, separating it from the rest of the
Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...
. From Texas, the Canadian continues eastward into Oklahoma, passing just south of
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
. At
Eufaula, Oklahoma Eufaula is a city and county seat of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,813 at the 2010 census, an increase of 6.6 percent from 2,639 in 2000. Eufaula is in the southern part of the county, north of McAlester and ...
, it flows into
Eufaula Lake Lake Eufaula, sometimes referred to as Eufaula Lake, is a reservoir in Oklahoma. It is located on the Canadian River, upstream from its confluence with the Arkansas River and near the town of Eufaula. The lake covers parts of McIntosh County, ...
, the largest on this river. About downstream, it joins the Arkansas River at
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir Robert S. Kerr Reservoir is located within the Cookson Hills, on the Arkansas River in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, Sequoyah, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, Le Flore, Haskell County, Oklahoma, Haskell, and Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee counties in ...
, around west of the
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
border. For most of its length, the Canadian is a slow-moving waterway bounded by red mud flats and
quicksand Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that los ...
. When sufficient
rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
has fallen, the river can carry substantial amounts of water. The river is now under the control of the Canadian River Commission.


Images

File:Canadian canyon.jpg, Canadian River Canyon in
Kiowa National Grassland Kiowa National Grassland is a National Grassland, located in northeastern New Mexico. The southwestern Great Plains grassland includes prairie and part of the Canadian River Canyon. Sections It is located in two non-adjacent units of northeast ...
, Eastern New Mexico File:Wooden bridge over Canadian River, Canadian, TX IMG_6058.JPG, Wooden bridge over the Canadian River in
Hemphill County, Texas Hemphill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,382. The county seat and only incorporated community in the county is the city of Canadian. The county was created in 1876 and org ...
File:Canadian River Calvin Oklahoma.jpg, Canadian River at
Calvin, Oklahoma Calvin is a town in Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 294 at the 2010 census. History The present community of Calvin was established in 1895, when the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (C O & G) laid a line through th ...


Notes


See also

*
List of Colorado rivers This is a list of streams in the U.S. State of Colorado. __TOC__ Alphabetical list The following alphabetical list includes many important streams that flow through the State of Colorado, including all 158 named rivers. Where available, th ...
*
List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem) The longest rivers of the United States include 38 that have main stems of at least long. The main stem is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines a main- ...
*
List of New Mexico rivers A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
List of Oklahoma rivers This is a list of rivers in the state of Oklahoma, listed by drainage basin, alphabetically, and by size. In mean flow of water per second, the Arkansas is Oklahoma's largest river, followed by the Red River and the Neosho River. By drainage basi ...
*
List of Texas rivers A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
* Pecos River *
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
* Brazos River *
White River (Texas) The White River is an intermittent stream in the South Plains of Texas and a tributary of the Brazos River of the United States. It rises west of Floydada in southwestern Floyd County at the confluence of Callahan and Runningwater Draws. Fro ...
* Double Mountain (Texas) *
Canadian, Texas Canadian is a city in, and the county seat of, Hemphill County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,649 at the 2010 census, up from 2,233 in 2000. It is named for the nearby Canadian River, a tributary of the Arkansas River. Incorporated ...


References


External links


"Canadian River", Handbook of Texas Online
*Sketch of the Canadian River i
''A pictorial history of Texas'' by Thrall, H.S.
Portal to Texas History, University of Texas.
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - Canadian RiverOklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
* * {{authority control Rivers of Colfax County, New Mexico Rivers of Quay County, New Mexico Rivers of Las Animas County, Colorado Mississippi River watershed Rivers of Colorado Rivers of New Mexico Rivers of Oklahoma Rivers of Texas Tributaries of the Arkansas River