Highwood River

Highwood River
The Highwood from Alberta Highway 40
Basin
Main source	Peter Lougheed Provincial Park 50°36′37″N 114°58′34″W / 50.61032°N 114.97613°W / 50.61032; -114.97613 (Highwoord River origin)
Source elevation	2,500 meters (8,200 ft)
River mouth	Bow River 50°49′03″N 113°46′44″W / 50.81743°N 113.77892°W / 50.81743; -113.77892 (Highwoord River mouth)
Mouth elevation	950 meters (3,120 ft)
Country	Canada

The Highwood River is a tributary of the Bow River in southwestern Alberta, Canada.

Course

The Highwood River gathers water from the slopes of Mount Arethusa and flows along the Kananaskis Trail

The Highwood originates in the Canadian Rockies in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, in the Highwood Pass below Mount Arethusa. It flows south and is paralleled by the Kananaskis Trail between Elbow-Sheep Wildland, Don Getty Wildland and Emerson Creek Park. It turns east and flows along Highway 541 and through the community of Longview. Continuing east, it passes through High River, ending when it enters the Bow River southeast of Calgary.

Recreation

The river is known for its flyfishing. A variety of trout species live in the river, including native bull trout. In springtime when the snow is melting the river offers white water rafting.

Flooding

The Highwood River is subject to frequent flooding. Flood events of exceptional magnitude occurred in 1894, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1923, 1929, 1932, 1942, 1995, 2005 and 2013. ^[1] Most recently during the 2013 Alberta floods, thousands of people in Alberta were ordered to evacuate their homes after the rise of the Highwood River, Bow River, Elbow River and numerous others.^[2][3] Three people died as a result of the flooding of the Highwood River.^[4]

Tributaries and features

From origin to mouth, the Highwood River receives the following tributaries or passes through these geographic features:

See also

• List of rivers of Alberta

References

Hydrography of Alberta Rivers Athabasca Battle Beaver Bow Brazeau Crowsnest Elbow Hay Little Bow Milk North Saskatchewan Oldman Peace Pembina Red Deer Slave Smoky South Saskatchewan Waterfalls Athabasca Bow Bridal Veil Crescent Crypt Elbow Panther Sunwapta Lakes Athabasca Beaverhill Bistcho Claire Cold La Biche Lesser Slave Pigeon Ste. Anne Sylvan Utikuma Wabamun Reservoirs Abraham Barrier Brazeau Chestermere Kananaskis 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)