Thompson River (Montana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thompson River |
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 Location of the mouth of the Thompson River in Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Sanders County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Rocky Mountains, Montana 3,337 ft (1,017 m) 48°0′52″N 115°11′27″W / 48.01444°N 115.19083°W |
| River mouth | Clark Fork Thompson Falls, Montana 2,405 ft (733 m) 47°34′37″N 115°14′23″W / 47.57694°N 115.23972°W |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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The Thompson River is a river located in the state of Montana in the United States. It is a "tributary" of the Clark Fork. A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river.
The Thompson River is part of a much bigger water system called the Columbia River basin. This means its water eventually flows into the Columbia River. The Clark Fork River flows into the Pend Oreille River, and then the Pend Oreille River flows into the Columbia River.
The river was named after a famous explorer named David Thompson. He was a British-Canadian fur trader and geographer who explored much of western North America.
Where the Thompson River Flows
The Thompson River starts in a place called Upper Thompson Lake. This lake is located in the Rocky Mountains in Montana. From there, the river generally flows south.
It travels through Sanders County before joining the Clark Fork River. The place where it meets the Clark Fork River is near the town of Thompson Falls.
