Middle Fork Flathead River
The river near Essex, Montana
Map of the Flathead River watershed showing the Middle Fork
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CitiesWest Glacier, Montana, Essex, Montana
Physical characteristics
SourceBob Marshall Wilderness
 • locationMontana, United States
 • coordinates47°59′47″N 113°03′30″W / 47.99639°N 113.05833°W / 47.99639; -113.05833[1]
MouthFlathead River
 • location
Montana, United States
 • coordinates
48°28′01″N 114°04′09″W / 48.46694°N 114.06917°W / 48.46694; -114.06917[1]
 • elevation
3,120 ft (950 m)
Length92 mi (148 km)[2]
Basin size1,160 sq mi (3,000 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationWest Glacier, 3.8 miles (6.1 km) above the mouth
 • average2,854 cu ft/s (80.8 m3/s)
 • minimum189 cu ft/s (5.4 m3/s)
 • maximum140,000 cu ft/s (4,000 m3/s)
DesignatedOctober 12, 1976

The Middle Fork Flathead River is a 92-mile (148 km)[2] river in western Montana in the United States, forming the southwestern boundary of Glacier National Park. Its drainage basin lies to the east of the South Fork Flathead River and the Hungry Horse Reservoir. Towns along the river include West Glacier, Nyack, Pinnacle, Essex, and Nimrod.[1]

The river's headwaters lie in the Bob Marshall Wilderness at the confluence of two small streams, Strawberry Creek and Bowl Creek.[3] From there, it runs north, receiving many tributaries from glacial valleys to the east and west, most of them inside Glacier National Park. The river begins to parallel U.S. Highway 2 as it winds north-northwest, and after a long and narrow course, the river enters a wider valley and begins to spread out and braid between meadows and forested slopes. It then enters another narrow gorge, turning generally westwards, then passing the southwestern entrance of the national park, receives a tributary from Lake McDonald, a large glacial lake to the north, from the right. The river then proceeds southwest to meet the North Fork Flathead River, southwest of West Glacier and northeast of Columbia Falls, forming the main stem of the Flathead River, which eventually flows into the Clark Fork River (the Pend Oreille River).[4]

Tributaries

The following minor creeks are tributaries to the Middle Fork Flathead River:

East side West side
  • Strawberry Creek
    • Grimsley Creek
  • Bowl Creek
    • Scalp Creek
    • Park Creek
  • Winter Creek
  • Cox Creek
  • Calbick Creek
  • Surprise Creek
  • Morrison Creek
  • Edna Creek
  • Bear Creek
    • Giefer Creek
  • Spruce Creek
  • Bradley Creek
  • Clack Creek
  • Schafer Creek
  • Porter Creek
  • Long Creek
    • Bergsicker Creek
  • Charlie Creek
  • Dirtyface Creek
  • Paola Creek

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Middle Fork Flathead River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 4 April 1980. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  2. 1 2 Fischer, Carol (1990). Paddling Montana. Globe Pequot. pp. 61, 67–69, 72–74, 78–79. ISBN 978-1-56044-589-0.
  3. ↑ "Middle Fork of the Flathead River". U.S. Forest Service. www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  4. ↑ Woessner, William; Potts, Donald F.; Running, Steven W.; Kimball, John S.; DeLuca, Thomas H.; Fagre, Daniel B.; Makepeace, Seth; Hendrix, Marc S.; Johnnie, N. Moore; Lorang, Mark S.; Ellis, Bonnie K. (30 July 2004). "Flathead River Basin Hydrologic Observatory, Northern Rocky Mountains" (PDF). Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science. www.cuahsi.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
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