Poplar River is a tributary of the
Missouri River
The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
, approximately long in
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and
Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The river is composed of three main forks – West, Middle, and East Poplar Rivers – that have their
source in the Wood Mountain Hills of the
Missouri Coteau. Along the river's Middle Fork in Saskatchewan, there is a
coal-fired power station. There are also dams built along the river's forks.
Along with the
Milk River and
Big Muddy Creek, it is one of three waterways in Canada that drain into the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
.
Description
Poplar River and its main forks of West, Middle, and East Poplar Rivers begin in the
Wood Mountain Hills in Saskatchewan. West Poplar River rises near
Killdeer, Saskatchewan, and flows south-east, into north-eastern Montana, past
Richland and across
Daniels County. On the Saskatchewan side of the West Poplar River in the
RM of Old Post No. 43, there is the West Poplar Dam (). It is high, was built in 1957, and is owned and operated by the
Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. It impounds the Devils Lake
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
. Poplar River (Middle fork) rises north-west of
Rockglen, Saskatchewan, and flows south-east, into north-eastern Montana, and passes west of
Scobey. The two forks unite in the northern part of
Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The combined river flows south-east, then south-southwest, and joins the
Missouri River
The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
near
Poplar.
The East Poplar River begins south of
Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan, and flows south out of the hills and meets the Poplar River in Montana, upstream from where the West Poplar River meets it. Along the course of the East Poplar River, on the Canadian side of the border, is
Poplar River Power Station, which is a
coal-fired station owned by
SaskPower.
Morrison Dam was built along the river in 1977 to provide cooling water for the station.
Girard Creek, which originates at
Fife Lake, and East Poplar River are the primary inflows for the Morrison Dam Reservoir.
Variant names
The Poplar River has also been known as: Lost Child Creek and Middle Fork Poplar River.
[
]
See also
* List of rivers of Saskatchewan
* List of rivers of Montana
* List of tributaries of the Missouri River
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poplar River (Montana-Saskatchewan)
Rivers of Montana
Rivers of Saskatchewan
Tributaries of the Missouri River
International rivers of North America
Bodies of water of Roosevelt County, Montana
Bodies of water of Daniels County, Montana
Old Post No. 43, Saskatchewan