The Knife River is a tributary of the
Missouri River, approximately 120 mi (193 km) long, in
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, South ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
.
Knife is an English translation of the Native American name.
It rises in west central North Dakota, in the
Killdeer Mountains in
Dunn County. It flows east, and is joined by
Spring Creek
A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring creek may additionally b ...
near
Beulah. It joins the Missouri north of
Stanton, at the
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, which was established in 1974, preserves the historic and archaeological remnants of bands of Hidatsa, Northern Plains Indians, in North Dakota. This area was a major trading and agricultural ...
.
Much of the terrain surrounding the river valley still remains in native grasslands, supporting many species of wildlife, including Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Coyote, Fox, Native Grouse, Pheasant, etc. Many of the small tributaries such as the Little Knife support local farms and ranches; some have been family owned for over 100 years. Some of the larger ranches include the Circle Five Ranch, Dressler Ranch, Perhus Bros. Ranch, and Greenshield Ranch.
The river consistently floods after spring melting (frequently as high as 10,000 cfs) but is two to three magnitudes lower during the summer months. The confluence of the river (near Stanton, ND) was largely blocked by sand after the Missouri River flood of 2011 but had cut a new channel by the summer of 2012. At
Hazen, the river's discharge averages 171 cubic feet per second.
See also
*
Knife River Bridge
References
See also
*
List of North Dakota riversUSGS streamgage at Hazen, ND
*
Rivers of North Dakota
Tributaries of the Missouri River
Rivers of Billings County, North Dakota
Rivers of Mercer County, North Dakota
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