Wigwam River facts for kids
The Wigwam River is a cool river that flows through two different countries! It starts in the U.S. state of Montana and then crosses into the Canadian province of British Columbia. Think of it as a smaller river, called a tributary, that joins a bigger river. The Wigwam River flows into the Elk River.
The Elk River then joins the Kootenay River, and the Kootenay River eventually flows into the huge Columbia River. This means the Wigwam River is part of a very large river system called the Columbia River basin. People especially love the Wigwam River for flyfishing because it's a great spot to catch fish with a special type of fishing.
One super interesting fact about the water in the Wigwam River is how much it travels! A single drop of water that starts in the Wigwam River will cross the border between Canada and the U.S. four times before it reaches the ocean. It crosses once on the Wigwam River itself, twice more when it's part of the Kootenay River, and then one last time on the Columbia River. That's quite a journey!
Where the River Starts
The Wigwam River begins high up in the mountains. It starts in the Galton Range, which is part of the big Rocky Mountains in Lincoln County, Montana. The river actually forms when two smaller streams, called Wolverine Creek and Bluebird Creek, meet together. This meeting point is called a confluence. You can find this spot around 48°58′N 114°51′W / 48.967°N 114.850°W.
The River's Journey
From where it starts, the Wigwam River first flows towards the east, then turns and heads north. It soon crosses the invisible line that marks the border between the U.S. and Canada, also known as the 49th parallel.
After crossing the border, the river continues flowing mostly north for a long time. Then, when it gets close to a mountain called Mount Broadwood, it makes a sharp turn and starts flowing west. It keeps going west until it meets the Elk River. This meeting point is located a bit south of a town called Elko in British Columbia.
