The Wigwam River is a

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 drai ...

of the Elk River that flows through the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

and the Canadian province of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. It is part of the Columbia River basin, as the Elk River is a tributary of the

Kootenay River The Kootenay or Kootenai river is a major river in the Northwest Plateau, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributary, tributaries of the Columbia Ri ...

, which is a tributary of the Columbia. The Wigwam is known for its

flyfishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...

opportunities. Notably, water carried in the river at its origin will flow across the Canada-U.S. border on four distinct occasions: once on the Wigwam, twice on the Kootenay, and once on the Columbia.

Course

The Wigwam River originates in the Galton Range of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

Lincoln County, Montana Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,677. Its county seat is Libby. The county was founded in 1909 and named for President Abraham Lincoln. The county lies on Montana's ...

, at the confluence of ''Wolverine Creek'' and ''Bluebird Creek'' (approximately ). It flows east and then north, crossing the 49th parallel and flowing in a generally northerly fashion for much of its course prior to making a sharp westerly turn immediately south of Mount Broadwood. It then runs west to its confluence with the Elk some distance south of Elko.

References

* * Rivers of British Columbia Rivers of Montana Rivers of Lincoln County, Montana Elk Valley (British Columbia) Tributaries of the Kootenay River International rivers of North America Rivers of the Canadian Rockies {{Montana-river-stub