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Oldman River
Oldman River seen from Veterans Memorial Highway
The South Saskatchewan River drainage basin
The mouth in AlbertaShow map of AlbertaOldman River (Canada)Show map of Canada
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Canadian Rockies
• coordinates	50°06′50″N 114°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″N 111°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 km (10,300 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	95 m/s (3,400 cu ft/s)

The Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins the Bow River to form the South Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into the Hudson Bay.

Oldman River has a total length of 362 kilometres (225 mi) and a drainage area of 26,700 km (10,300 sq mi).

Etymology

The river is named after Napi, a figure in Blackfoot mythology, who is referred to also as the "Old Man."

History

The Oldman River was, at one time, known as the Belly River. The Belly River is now a separate river that is a tributary of the Oldman.

In 1991, the Alberta government finished construction of the Oldman River Dam. The Piikani activist Milton 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. The dam was constructed where the Oldman, Crowsnest, and Castle river systems converge.

2013 floods

On June 21, 2013, during the 2013 Alberta floods Alberta experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding throughout much of the southern half of the province along the Bow, 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.

Tributaries

From headwaters to mouth, Oldman River receives:

• Livingstone River
• Crowsnest River
• Castle River
• Pincher Creek
• Beaver Creek
• Willow Creek
• Belly River
  • Waterton River
• St. Mary River
  • Lee Creek
• Little Bow River

Nature

Oldman River originates in the Beehive Natural Area, an area of alpine tundra and old-growth spruce and fir forests. Downstream it flows through Bob Creek Wildland Provincial Park and Black Creek Heritage Rangeland. Oldman Dam and Oldman River are other Provincial Recreation Areas established along the river.

The river and some of its tributaries have formed coulees in Southern Alberta, and the strata revealed by these formations guide local prospectors to ammolite deposits.

Fish

The Oldman River contains fish species such as rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, brown trout, hybrid trout species ("cutbow" rainbow and cutthroat cross), mountain whitefish, pike, walleye, lake sturgeon, catostomidae, goldeye, and minnows.

See also

• Oldman Formation
• Oldman River valley parks system
• List of rivers of Alberta

References

1. ^ Atlas of Canada. "Rivers in Canada". Retrieved January 13, 2007.
2. Clark Wissler and D. C. Duvall, Mythology of the Blackfoot Indians, (Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, vol. 2, pt. 2, 1908), 7.
3. "McCord Museum - Keys to History". Retrieved September 11, 2020.
4. University of Lethbridge. "Oldman River Dam". Archived from the original on September 24, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
5. Kaufmann, Bill (June 21, 2013). "Thousands flee rising waters from Red Deer to Crowsnest". Calgary Sun. p. 3.
6. Alberta Community Development. "Beehive Natural Area". Archived from the original on August 13, 2004. Retrieved November 12, 2006.
7. Alberta Community Development. "Bob Creek Wildland Park". Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2006.
8. Alberta Community Development. "Black Creek Heritage Rangeland". Archived from the original on August 13, 2004. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
9. "AlbertaFishingGuide.com: The Dependable Online Resource For Fishing In Alberta". AlbertaFishingGuide.com. Retrieved February 3, 2020.

External links

• Oldman Watershed Council: www.oldmanwatershed.ca

v t e Hydrography of Alberta
Rivers	Athabasca Battle Beaver Bow Brazeau Clearwater Crowsnest Elbow Ghost Hay Little Bow Milk North Saskatchewan Oldman Peace Pembina Red Deer Slave Smoky South Saskatchewan
Waterfalls	Athabasca Bow Bridal Veil Crescent Crypt Elbow Lundbreck Panther Sunwapta
Lakes	Amisk Athabasca Beaverhill Bistcho Claire Cold Crowsnest Des Arcs Garner Hubbles Jackfish La Biche St. Cyr Lesser Slave Miquelon North Wabasca Lake Pigeon Santé Ste. Anne Sylvan Utikuma Wabamun
Reservoirs	Abraham Barrier Brazeau Chestermere Kananaskis Little Bow Lake Reservoir McGregor Minnewanka Glenmore Milk River Ridge Sikome Gleniffer
Glaciers	Athabasca Bow Columbia Icefield Crowfoot Hector Peyto Saskatchewan Vulture Wapta Waputik Icefield
Other	Hay-Zama Wetlands Peace–Athabasca Delta Whooping Crane Summer Range (wetlands)
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