View source for North Saskatchewan River

{{Short description|River in Western Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox river
| name = North Saskatchewan River
| native_name = 
| name_etymology = {{ubl|Plains Cree: 'fast current / swift-flowing river'|Blackfoot: 'big river'}}
<!-------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = North Saskatchewan River in the Rockies.jpg
| image_caption = North Saskatchewan River near [[Abraham Lake]]
| image_size = 250
| map = North Saskatchewan basin map.png
| map_size = 250
| map_caption = The North Saskatchewan River drainage basin
| pushpin_map = Saskatchewan#Canada
| pushpin_map_size = 250
| pushpin_map_caption = River's mouth in Saskatchewan
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = Canada
| subdivision_type2 = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Provinces]]
| subdivision_name2 = {{hlist|[[Alberta]]|[[Saskatchewan]]}}
| subdivision_type3 = 
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| subdivision_type5 = Cities
| subdivision_name5 = {{hlist|[[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton, AB]]|[[North Battleford|North Battleford, SK]]|[[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert, SK]]}}
<!------ PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length = {{cvt|1287|km}} 
| width_min = 
| width_avg = 
| width_max = 
| depth_min = 
| depth_avg = 
| depth_max = 
| discharge1_location = [[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan]], {{cvt|53|km}} from the mouth
| discharge1_min = {{cvt|19|m3/s|cuft/s}}
| discharge1_avg = {{cvt|238|m3/s|cuft/s}}
| discharge1_max = {{cvt|5660|m3/s|cuft/s}}
<!--------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 = [[Rocky Mountains]]
| source1_location = [[Saskatchewan Glacier]], Alberta
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|52|09|22|N|117|10|54|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{cvt|2080|m}}
| mouth = [[Saskatchewan River]]
| mouth_location = [[Saskatchewan River Forks]], Saskatchewan
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|53|14|07|N|105|04|58|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{cvt|380|m}}
| progression = 
| river_system = [[Nelson River]]
| basin_size = {{cvt|122800|km2}}
| tributaries_left = {{hlist|[[Brazeau River]]}}
| tributaries_right = {{hlist|[[Clearwater River (Alberta)|Clearwater River]]|[[Vermilion River (Alberta)|Vermilion River]]|[[Battle River]]}}
| custom_label = 
| custom_data = 
| extra = 
}}

The '''North Saskatchewan River''' is a [[glacier]]-fed river that flows from the [[Canadian Rockies]] continental divide east to central [[Saskatchewan]], where it joins with the [[South Saskatchewan River]] to make up the [[Saskatchewan River]]. Its water flows eventually into the [[Hudson Bay]].

The Saskatchewan River system is the largest shared between the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian provinces]] of [[Alberta]] and Saskatchewan.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9065829/Saskatchewan-River |title=Saskatchewan River |date=2006 |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=September 22, 2006}}</ref> Its watershed includes most of southern and central Alberta and Saskatchewan.

== Course ==
The North Saskatchewan River has a length of {{convert|1,287|km|mi}}, and a drainage area of {{convert|122800|km2|mi2}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/rivers.html#bay |author=Atlas of Canada |author-link=Atlas of Canada |title=Major Rivers in Canada |access-date=2007-05-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404150649/http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/rivers.html |archive-date=April 4, 2007 }}</ref> At its end point at [[Saskatchewan River Forks]] it has a mean discharge of {{convert|245|m3/s|cuft/s}}. The yearly discharge at the Alberta–Saskatchewan border is more than {{convert|7|km3|mi3}}.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160409210242/http://www.environment.alberta.ca/apps/basins/default.aspx Alberta Environment] - Alberta river basins {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The river begins above {{convert|1,800|m|ft}} at the toe of the [[Saskatchewan Glacier]] in the [[Columbia Icefield]], and flows southeast through [[Banff National Park]] alongside the [[Icefields Parkway]]. At the junction of the [[David Thompson Highway]] (Highway 11), it initially turns northeast for {{convert|10|km|mi}} before switching to a more direct eastern flow for about {{convert|30|km|mi}}. At this point, it turns north where it eventually arrives at [[Abraham Lake]]. [[Bighorn Dam]] constricts the north end of Abraham Lake, where the North Saskatchewan emerges to track eastward to [[Rocky Mountain House]]. At Rocky Mountain House, the river abruptly turns north again for {{convert|100|km|mi}} where it switches east towards [[Edmonton, Alberta]].

In Edmonton, the river passes through the centre of the city in a northeasterly direction and out towards [[Smoky Lake, Alberta|Smoky Lake]] at which point it quickly changes to the southeast and then more to the east as it makes its way to the Alberta–Saskatchewan boundary.

From the border, the river flows southeast between [[North Battleford, Saskatchewan|North Battleford]] and [[Battleford, Saskatchewan|Battleford]] and on in the direction of [[Saskatoon, Saskatchewan|Saskatoon]]. About {{convert|40|km|mi}} northwest of Saskatoon, near [[Langham, Saskatchewan|Langham]], the river veers to the northeast where it passes through the City of [[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert]]. About {{convert|30|km|mi}} downstream of Prince Albert, the North Saskatchewan River joins the [[South Saskatchewan River]] at Saskatchewan River Forks to become the Saskatchewan River. From there, the river flows east to [[Tobin Lake]] and into [[Manitoba]], eventually emptying into [[Lake Winnipeg]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oegema |first1=Bart |title=North Saskatchewan River |url=https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/north_saskatchewan_river.html |website=ESask |publisher=University of Regina |access-date=6 May 2024}}</ref>

== Geography ==
The river course can be divided into five distinct sections. The first, the eastern slopes of the [[Rocky Mountains]], is the smallest area geographically, although the largest in terms of run-off and contributed water flow. The [[glaciers]] and perpetual snows of the mountain peaks feed the river year-round. Mountains, with little vegetation, experience fast-melting snow cover. The second section of the river comprises the [[foothills|foothills region]]. The terrain is hilly and rough, with a deeper and more defined valley. This area is well covered with forest and [[muskeg]], and run-off into the river is much more constant and stable than in the mountains.

From [[Edmonton]] to the mouth of the Vermilion River, the North Saskatchewan flows through the [[Aspen parkland|plains-parkland]] divide, with occasional stretches of prairie. The [[North Saskatchewan River valley parks system]] is the largest expanses of urban parkland in Canada.<ref name="RiverValleyParks">{{cite web|title=River Valley Parks|url=http://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/parks_rivervalley/river-valley-parks.aspx|website=City of Edmonton|access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> Cutting across Edmonton and the [[Edmonton Capital Region|Capital Region]].<ref name="Ribbon of Green">{{cite web|title=Ribbon of Green Concept Plan: Basic Principles|url=http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/projects_redevelopment/ribbon-of-green-concept-plan-b.aspx|website=City of Edmonton|access-date=31 March 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326171419/http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/projects_redevelopment/ribbon-of-green-concept-plan-b.aspx|archive-date=26 March 2016}}</ref> The river runs in a well-defined valley with deep cuts in the landscape. The fourth section, from the [[Vermilion River (Alberta)|Vermilion River]] to Prince Albert is principally [[prairie]] with a few small stretches of timber and secondary forest cover. The valley of the river is much wider, and the river itself spreads out across shallow water and flows over many shifting [[shoal|sand bars]]. Low-lying, flat areas border the river for much of this section.

The final section of the river, from Prince Albert to the Saskatchewan River Forks, has many [[rapids]]. The valley is more shallow than the previous sections of the river, and the channel is much better defined. There is little prairie and much tree cover in this section.<ref>''Surveys of the North Saskatchewan River: 1910-1915.'' Edmonton: Government of the Province of Alberta, Department of Water Resources, 1917. Pages 50-53.</ref>

The water flows on then in the [[Saskatchewan River]].

== Geology ==
{{expand section|date=May 2011}}
The [[Bridge River Ash]] is in the vicinity of the North Saskatchewan River, which erupted from the [[Mount Meager massif]] in southwestern [[British Columbia]] about 2350 years ago.

== History ==
The river is shown on a [[Hudson's Bay Company]] (HBC) map from 1760, labelled as the ''Beaver River''.<ref>MacDonald, 3{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}</ref>

Its Cree name is {{lang|crk-Latn|kisiskâciwanisîpiy}}, meaning 'swift current'. From this name is derived the name Saskatchewan, used as well for the South Saskatchewan River and the Saskatchewan River (of which both the North and South Saskatchewan rivers are major tributaries), and the province of that name.<ref name="ecamp">{{cite web |last1=Chalifoux |first1=Jenna |title=Kisiskāciwani-sīpiy – Swift Flowing River |url=https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2016/06/07/kisiskaciwani-sipiy-swift-flowing-river/ |website=Edmonton City as Museum Projec |publisher=Edmonton Heritage Council |access-date=26 March 2024 |date=7 June 2016}}</ref>

Its Blackfoot name is {{lang|bla|omaka-ty}} 'big river'.<ref>Geographic Board of Canada. Place Names of Alberta (1928)</ref>

[[Image:North Saskatchewan River circa 1913.jpg|left|thumb|The North Saskatchewan in [[Edmonton]] circa 1913. [[Steamboat]]s in the foreground, construction of the [[High Level Bridge (Edmonton)|High Level Bridge]] in the background, and mid-river piers for future [[Walterdale Bridge]] between.]]
The 49-kilometre section of the North Saskatchewan River that falls within the boundaries of Banff National Park was designated a [[Canadian Heritage River]] in 1989, due to its importance in the development of [[Western Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |title=North Saskatchewan River |url=http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/NorthSask/NorthSask_e.php |website=Canadian Heritage River System |date=2011 |access-date=2015-07-09}}</ref> In 2022 the remaining 718&nbsp;km within Alberta, flowing through 16 municipalities in the province, was nominated to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, achieving final designation in March of 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Governments of Canada and Alberta officially accept nomination of the Alberta section of the North Saskatchewan River as a Canadian Heritage River |date=August 3, 2022 |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2022/08/governments-of-canada-and-alberta-officially-accept-nomination-of-the-alberta-section-of-the-north-saskatchewan-river-as-a-canadian-heritage-river.html |access-date=2023-08-25}}</ref><ref name="cbc2024">{{cite news |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Nishat |title=Alberta's North Saskatchewan earns heritage river status |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/north-saskatchewan-river-heritage-status-1.7153773 |access-date=26 March 2024 |publisher=CBC News |date=24 March 2024}}</ref> 

The river demarcates the prairie–parkland divide for much of its course and acted as a natural boundary between plains [[Blackfoot]] of the south and woodland [[Cree]] of the north for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found evidence and indications of nearly 800 permanent or temporary occupation and quarry sites in the Edmonton region alone, dating back hundreds and sometimes thousands of years.<ref name="ecamp"/> With the westward expansion of the [[fur trade]] spearheaded by the [[North West Company]] (NWC) and followed by the HBC, the river became an important transportation route for fur trade brigades' [[York boat]]s, to which it was especially well suited as it follows an eastern trend toward Hudson Bay, the entry point for the HBC into the continent. Many fur trade posts were constructed on the river, including [[Fort Edmonton]] (1795) and Rocky Mountain House, the uppermost post reached by canoe navigation. The river's importance continued after the amalgamation of the HBC and the NWC. The [[#Commercial navigation|river was plied by a number of steamboats]] up to the First World War, although for everyday freight the growing web of railway lines in the western prairies eventually replaced them. The river was used commercially for many years{{snd}} to carry flatboats of settlers goods and construction materials downstream from Edmonton, to float thousands of logs in the annual log drive downstream to Edmonton prior to the First World War, as a source of ice blocks for home owners' iceboxes.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The first bridge across the river opened in 1900, the [[Low Level Bridge (Edmonton)]]. The [[Canadian Northern Railway Bridge (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan)|Canadian Northern Railway Bridge (Prince Albert)]] (1907-9), which also at first carried foot and wheeled traffic, and the Battleford bridge (ca. 1908) followed.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

== Recreation ==
[[File:North Saskatchewan River 2020.jpg|thumb|The North Saskatchewan River flowing past the West River's Edge park in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta]]
Edmonton's [[North Saskatchewan River valley parks system]] is the largest system of urban parks in Canada, and covers both sides of the river valley's course through Edmonton.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Edmonton|first=City of|date=2020-07-18|title=River Valley Parks|url=https://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/parks_rivervalley/river-valley-parks.aspx|access-date=2020-07-18|website=www.edmonton.ca}}</ref> The River Valley Alliance, a non-profit organization composed of seven municipalities which border the North Saskatchewan River, is currently working to create a continuous trail network from the town of [[Devon, Alberta|Devon]] to the city of [[Fort Saskatchewan]] – a total of {{Convert|100|km|mi|abbr=}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=River Valley Alliance|url=https://rivervalley.ab.ca/|access-date=2020-07-18|website=River Valley Alliance|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Fish species ==
Fish species include: [[walleye]], [[sauger]], [[yellow perch]], [[northern pike]], [[goldeye]], [[mooneye]], [[lake sturgeon]], [[mountain whitefish]], [[burbot]], [[longnose sucker]], [[white sucker]] and [[shorthead redhorse]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |url=http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=11115 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103002043/http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=11115 |archive-date=2015-11-03 |title=Fish Species of Saskatchewan}}</ref>  The upper North Saskatchewan River contains cutthroat trout (although not native),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alberta.ca/cutthroat-trout.aspx|title=Cutthroat trout|website=www.alberta.ca|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-08-30}}</ref>  and bull trout<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/report_series/Upper-NSR-and-Abr-Lake-BLTR-Study-2002-2003.pdf|title=Upper North Saskatchewan River and Abraham Lake Bull Trout Study|website=Alberta Conservation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728002009/https://www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/report_series/Upper-NSR-and-Abr-Lake-BLTR-Study-2002-2003.pdf|archive-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref>

== Flooding ==
Like all rivers, the North Saskatchewan is subject to periodic flooding, beginning with rapid snowmelt in the [[Canadian Rockies|mountains]] or prolonged periods of rain in the [[river basin]]. With the establishment of permanent communities along the river's course, and the rise of an administrative/government structure, [[public records|records]] exist recording floods in the North Saskatchewan for the past century. The [[Bighorn Dam]], constructed in the early 1970s near [[Nordegg, Alberta]], and the [[Brazeau Reservoir|Brazeau Dam]], constructed in the mid-1960s, have not reduced flooding potential on the North Saskatchewan River (Alberta Environment 1981) <ref>{{cite report |first=A. M. |last=Mustapha |title=History of Floods in the North Saskatchewan River Basin |url={{google books|Ti8ZNAEACAAJ|plainurl=yes}} |publisher=Alberta Environment, Environmental Engineering Support Services, Technical Services Division |date=1981}}</ref>
[[Image:Edmonton daily bulletin 1915 flood cover.jpg|right|thumb|250px|29 June 1915 cover of the Edmonton Daily Bulletin]]

=== List of notable flood years ===
<ref>Research Council of Alberta, Highways Division. ''Hydrologic Data on Floods in the North Saskatchewan River.'' (Edmonton: Research Council of Alberta, 1965).</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsc.ec.gc.ca/hydat/H2O/index_e.cfm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-01-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231224943/http://www.wsc.ec.gc.ca/hydat/H2O/index_e.cfm |archive-date=2007-12-31 }} Environment Canada, Water Survey of Canada, retrieved 11 January 2009.</ref>
{{Incomplete list|date=January 2009}}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!rowspan="2" style="width:50px;"|Year
!colspan="2" style="width:200px;"|[[Edmonton]]
!colspan="2" style="width:200px;"|[[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert]]
|-
!Peak date
!mean daily flow<br />([[Cubic metre per second|m{{sup|3}}/s]])
!Peak date
!Peak flow<br />([[Cubic metre per second|m{{sup|3}}/s]])
|-
| 1899
| 18 August || 4570 || August || 3960
|-
| 1912
| 10 July || 2100 || 14 July || 1980
|-
||
| 19 August || 1990 || 25 August || 1550
|-
| 1914
| 9 June || 1750 || 14 June || 1790
|-
| 1915
| 29 June || 4640 || 2 July || 5300
|-
||
| 16 July || 2550 || 21 July || 2320
|-
| 1917
| 18 May || 1860 || 23 May || 1540
|-
| 1923
| 25 June || 2380 || 30 June || 1640
|-
| 1925
| 18 August || 2150 || 23 August|| 1620 
|-
| 1932
| 4 June || 1870 || 10 June || 2160
|-
| 1944
| 16 June || 3450 || 20 June || 2940
|-
| 1948
| 25 May || 1850 || 31 May || 2090
|-
| 1952
| 25 June || 3540 || 29 June || 2970
|-
| 1954
| 8 June || 3030 || 12 June || 2790
|-
||
| 27 August || 2820 || 1 Sept || 2570
|-
| 1965
| 29 June || 2590 || 4 July || 2460
|-
| 1969
| 7 July || 1740 || 13 July || 1570
|-
| 1972
| 27 June || 2970 || 2 July || 2340  
|-
| 1974
| | – || – || –| 23 April || 3880
|-
| 1980
| 7 June || 1740 || 13 June || 1680  
|-
| 1982
| 6 July || 1920 || 13 July || 1580  
|-
| 1986
| 19 July || 3990 || 24 July || 3230
|-
| 1990
| 4 July || 2340 || 10 July || 1890
|-
| 2005
| 21 June || 2270 || 27 June || 1800
|-
| 2011
| 19 June || 1800 || 26 June || 2100
|-
| 2013 
|23 June || 2710 || 29 June || 2200
|}

=== Flood of 1899 ===
The river peaked at a stage of {{convert|12.61|m|ft}} with an estimated peak instantaneous discharge of {{convert|5100|m3/s|cuft/s}}.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Flood of 1915 ===
{{main|North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915}}

The 1915 flood of the North Saskatchewan River was one of the most dramatic in the history of Edmonton. On 28 June, the ''[[Edmonton Bulletin]]'' reported the river had risen "10 feet in as many hours" and ultimately hitting a height of 42 feet over the low water level.<ref name="ecamp-SallyScott">{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Sally |title=June 29, 1915 — Edmonton's River Valley Floods |url=https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2015/06/29/june-29-1915-edmontons-river-valley-floods/ |website=Edmonton City as Museum Project |publisher=Edmonton Heritage Council |access-date=26 March 2024 |date=29 June 2015}}</ref> A frantic phone call from Rocky Mountain House alerted local authorities to the flood's arrival.<ref>''The Edmonton Bulletin'', 28 June 1915.</ref> The [[Canadian Northern Railway]] had parked a number of train cars on the city's [[Low Level Bridge (Edmonton)|Low Level Bridge]] to protect against the "tons upon tons of debris" that had been pushed up against its piers, including a house swept away by the current.<ref name="The Edmonton Bulletin 1915">''The Edmonton Bulletin'', 29 June 1915.</ref> Thousands of Edmonton residents watched the flood destroy [[lumber mill]]s, other industries and dozens of houses along the city's river valley.<ref name="The Edmonton Bulletin 1915"/><ref name="ecamp-SallyScott"/>

The river peaked at a stage of {{convert|13.73|m|ft}}, a rise of {{convert|11.5|m|ft}} above low flow, with an estimated peak instantaneous discharge of {{convert|5800|m3/s|cuft/s}}. However, based on high water marks and 1D modelling, the actual value may have been closer to {{convert|6300|m3/s|cuft/s}}.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Flood of 1986 ===
The river peaked at a stage of {{convert|11.5|m|ft}} with a peak instantaneous discharge of {{convert|4520|m3/s|cuft/s}}.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== 2013 Alberta flooding ===
{{Main|2013 Alberta floods}}
Along with many other rivers in central and southern Alberta during late June, the  North Saskatchewan saw significantly higher water levels and flow rates. The river peaked at a stage of {{convert|9.03|m|ft|abbr=on}} with a peak instantaneous discharge of {{convert|2710|m3/s|ft3/s}} on June 23 in Edmonton.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/historical_e.html?stn=05DF001&mode=Graph&type=h2oArc&results_type=historical&dataType=Daily&parameterType=Level&year=2013&y1Max=1&y1Min=1|title=Disclaimer for Hydrometric Information - Water Level and Flow - Environment Canada|website=wateroffice.ec.gc.ca}}</ref> This is significantly higher than the Bow River's peak height at {{convert|4.1|m|ft}} and peak discharge of {{convert|1750|m3/s|ft3/s}} on June 21, that caused widespread flooding in [[Calgary]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/historical_e.html?stn=05BH004&mode=Table&type=h2oArc&results_type=historical&dataType=Daily&parameterType=Flow&year=2013&y1Max=1&y1Min=1|title=Disclaimer for Hydrometric Information - Water Level and Flow - Environment Canada|website=wateroffice.ec.gc.ca}}</ref> However, due to the expansive North Saskatchewan River Valley and natural sanctuary/parkland that surrounds it, the City of Edmonton had only minor, isolated flooding, with virtually no major property damage as a result.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

== Commercial navigation ==
The North Saskatchewan River has always been a major [[trade route]] from [[Hudson Bay]] and central Canada across the Canadian Prairies to the Canadian Rockies. During the fur trade era, [[birch bark]] [[canoe]]s and [[York boat]]s travelled up and down the Saskatchewan delivering trade goods and amassing furs for transportation to Europe.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The North Saskatchewan also witnessed a lively, although short-lived, era of [[steamboat]] shipping during the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s. The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) purchased a number of [[steamboats]] from companies operating on the [[Red River of the North|Red River]] and trading at [[Winnipeg]]/[[Fort Garry]]. The HBC desired to avoid paying the [[wage|labour costs]] of [[fur brigade|fur trade brigades]], and hoped steamboat shipping would provide a suitable alternative. Several HBC steamboats navigated the river intermittently for many years, although fluctuating water levels and natural barriers (rapids and [[sandbar]]s) hampered efficient operation.<ref>Bruce Peel, ''Steamboats on the Saskatchewan'', (Saskatoon: Prairie Books, 1972)</ref>

With the arrival of the [[railroad]] in [[Western Canada]], steamboat shipping on the North Saskatchewan tapered off, but steamboats operated in the Edmonton area until the economic crash of 1912-14.<ref>Tom Monto, Old Strathcona - Edmonton's Southside Roots (Alhambra Books/Crang Publishing (2011).</ref>

== Dams and hydroelectric development ==
A number of [[dam]]s have been planned and constructed on the North Saskatchewan River and its [[tributary|tributaries]]. No singular purpose has dominated dam planning in the basin, indeed, [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric development]], [[flood|flood control]], and [[interbasin water diversion|water diversion]] schemes have all underpinned proposals to construct dams on the river.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Planned dams ===
The first [[hydroelectric]] development on the North Saskatchewan was planned in 1910 near the Town of [[Drayton Valley]]. Funding for the plan came from a British syndicate; design and construction were to be carried out by the Edmonton Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. The development was shelved after the outbreak of World War I.<ref>Loosmore, W. S. B. ''To Trail's End: Early Settlement in Drayton Valley.'' Drayton Valley: Drayton Valley and District Historical Society, 1994. Pages 10-14.</ref>

The [[LaColle Falls Hydroelectric Dam|La Colle Falls hydroelectric project]] east of Prince Albert was a half-built failure. Construction began in the 1910s and was later abandoned.<ref>[http://www.sasksettlement.com/slideshow.php?cat=1910-1920&subcat=Slide%20Show Saskatchewan Settlement Experience] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716010314/http://www.sasksettlement.com/slideshow.php?cat=1910-1920&subcat=Slide%20Show |date=2011-07-16 }}. Sasksettlement.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref> The city remained in debt from financing the project until 1960, and the site still attracts tourists today.<ref>[http://www.sasksettlement.com/slideshow.php?cat=1910-1920&subcat=Slide%20Show&btn=next&slide=2 Saskatchewan Settlement Experience] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716010318/http://www.sasksettlement.com/slideshow.php?cat=1910-1920&subcat=Slide%20Show&btn=next&slide=2 |date=2011-07-16 }}. Sasksettlement.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref>

During the 1960s and 1970s, a major dam was planned on the North Saskatchewan near the [[hamlet (place)|Hamlet]] of [[Hairy Hill, Alberta]], about {{convert|100|mi|km|order=flip}} downstream from Edmonton. This dam was part of a larger interbasin water diversion conceived by the [[Government of Alberta|Alberta Government]] to transfer water from the [[Peace River (Canada)|Peace]], [[Smoky River|Smoky]], and [[Athabasca River|Athabasca]] rivers to the [[Saskatchewan River|Saskatchewan River Basin]].<ref>[https://albertawater.com/historical-review-of-flood-detention-and-diversion-sites/athabasca-river-historical-report Athabasca River Historical Report]. albertawater.com. Retrieved on 2018-03-01.</ref>

The planned dam had a maximum height of {{convert|212|ft|m|order=flip}}, with a crest length of {{convert|5760|ft|km|order=flip}}, which would have created a [[reservoir]] capable of holding over {{convert|4000000|acre.ft|km3|order=flip}} of water. The reservoir would have affected municipal water works in the City of Fort Saskatchewan, was likely to inundate part of the Saddle Lake [[Indian reserve]], and would have flooded a number of [[oil]] and [[natural gas]] fields in the area.<ref>Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, Engineering Services, Alberta Regional Division. ''Hariy Hill Dam—North Saskatchewan River, Engineering Report.'' Calgary: Saskatchewan-Nelson Basin Board, 1970.</ref> The plan was later shelved in light of economic and environmental concerns.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Constructed dams ===
The [[Bighorn Dam]] was constructed near [[Nordegg]] and created [[Lake Abraham|Abraham Lake]], one of the largest [[reservoirs]] in Alberta. The dam was constructed in 1972 by [[Calgary Power]].<ref name=Bighorn>{{Cite web |url=http://www.transalta.com/facilities/plants-operation/bighorn/ |title=Bighorn |website=[[TransAlta|www.transalta.com]] |access-date=2017-12-26 }}</ref> The Bighorn Plant has a generating capacity of 120 [[Watt#Megawatt|megawatts]] (MW), and has an available water supply that allows it to be the largest producer of hydroelectric electricity in Alberta, with an average of 408,000 [[megawatt hour]]s (MW⋅h) each year.<ref name=Bighorn/>

One of the North Saskatchewan's major tributaries, the [[Brazeau River]], houses the [[Brazeau Reservoir|Brazeau Hydroelectric Plant]]. At 355&nbsp;MW, the Brazeau Dam is Alberta's largest hydroelectric facility, and was built in 1965 by Calgary Power.<ref name=Brazeau>{{Cite web |url=http://www.transalta.com/facilities/plants-operation/brazeau/ |title=Brazeau |website=[[TransAlta|www.transalta.com]] |access-date=2017-12-26 }}</ref>  Though having a higher peak generating capacity than the Bighorn Dam, the [[hydrology]] of the Brazeau means that its average annual electricity production is a slightly smaller 397,000&nbsp;MW⋅h.<ref name=Brazeau/>

== Tributaries ==
Tributaries of the North Saskatchewan River:<ref>Milholland, Billie. ''North Saskatchewan River Guide: Mountain to Prairie a Living Landscape.'' Edmonton: North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, 2002.</ref>
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;[[Saskatchewan Glacier]] to [[Abraham Lake]]
* [[Nigel Creek]]
* [[Alexandra River (Alberta)|Alexandra River]]
* Norman Creek
* Rampart Creek
* Arctomy's Creek
* Castleguard River
* [[Howse River]]
** <small>Glacier River</small>
* [[Mistaya River]]
** <small>Peyto Lake</small>
* Owen Creek
* Thompson Creek
* Corona Creek
* Spreading Creek
* Wildhorse Creek
* Loudon Creek
* [[Siffleur River]]
** <small>Escarpment River</small>
* Two O'Clock Creek
* Bridge Creek
* Whiterabbit Creek
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;[[Abraham Lake]] to [[Rocky Mountain House]]
* Canyon Creek
* [[Cline River]]
** <small>Pinto Lake</small>
* Whitegoat Creek
* BATUS Creek
* Hoodoo Creek
* Allstones Creek
* Mud Creek
* Tershishner Creek
* Crooked Creek
* Kidd Creek
* [[Bighorn River (Alberta)|Bighorn River]]
* Black Canyon Creek
* South Creek
* Dutch Creek
* Jock Creek
* Gap Creek
* Deep Creek
* Shunda Creek
* Jack Fish Creek
* Camp Creek
* Lundine Creek
* Lewis Creek
* Rough Creek
* [[Ram River]]
** <small>North Ram River</small>
* Cow Creek
** <small>Cow Lake</small>
* [[Clearwater River, Alberta|Clearwater River]]
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;[[Rocky Mountain House]] to [[Edmonton]]
* Chicken Creek
* Little Beaver Creek
* Big Beaver Creek
* No Name Creek
* Baptiste River
* [[Brazeau River]]
** <small>Southesk River, [[Cardinal River]], [[Blackstone River, Alberta|Blackstone River]], [[Elk River (Alberta)|Elk River]], [[Nordegg River]]</small>
* Sand Creek
* Wolf Creek
* Washout Creek
* Mishow Creek
* Bucklake Creek
** <small>Poplar Creek</small>
*** <small>Modeste Creek</small>
* Tomahawk Creek
* Shoal Lakes Creek
* Wabamum Creek
** <small>Wabamum Lake</small>
* Strawberry Creek
* Weed Creek
* Willow Creek
* Cutbank Creek
* Conjuring Creek
** <small>Wizard Lake</small>
* [[Whitemud Creek]]
* [[Blackmud Creek]]
* [[Mill Creek Ravine]]
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;[[Edmonton]] to Alberta-Saskatchewan Border
* [[Rat Creek]]
* Oldman Creek
* [[Horsehills Creek]]
* Ross Creek
* [[Sturgeon River (Alberta)|Sturgeon River]]
** <small>[[Big Lake (Alberta)|Big Lake]]</small>
* Redwater River
* Beaverhill Creek
* Waskatenau Creek
* Egg Creek
* Smoky Creek
* White Earth Creek
* Redclay Creek
* Cucumber Creek
* Saddlelake Creek
* Lake Eliza Creek
* Siler Creek
* Gideon Lake
* Death River
* Antimose Creek
* Telegraph Creek
* Moosehills Creek
** <small>Mooswa Creek</small>
* Middle Creek
** <small>Borden Lake, Laurier Lake, Ross Lake, Whitney Lake</small>
* Frog Creek
** <small>Alma Creek</small>
* [[Vermilion River (Alberta)|Vermilion River]]
* Chester Creek
* Two Hills Creek
* Cabin Lake
* Mosquito Creek
* [[Fulton Creek (North Saskatchewan River)|Fulton Creek]]
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;Saskatchewan
* Pipestone Creek
* Oldman Creek
* Monnery River
* Muskeg Creek
* Whitesand Creek
* Englishman River
* Big Gulley Creek
* Birling Creek
* [[Turtlelake River]]
* Jackfish River
* [[Battle River]]
** <small>[[Cut Knife Creek]]</small>
* Cooper Creek
* Baljennie Creek
* [[Eagle Creek (Saskatchewan)|Eagle Creek]]
* Pakrowka Creek
* Shepherds Creek
** <small>Turtle Creek</small>
* Cee Pee Creek
* Radouga Creek
* Steep Creek
* Miners Creek
* [[Sturgeon River (Saskatchewan)|Sturgeon River]]
** <small>[[Shell River (Saskatchewan)|Shell River]]</small>
* [[Spruce River (Saskatchewan)|Spruce River]]
* Garden River
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== Photo gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Edmonton_Sourdough_Raft_Race.jpg|Boating in [[Edmonton]], with a view of the High Level Bridge across the river
Image:High level Bridge Edmonton Alberta Canada 06-B.jpg| The [[Edmonton LRT]] bridge across the river in central Edmonton
Image:North Saskatchewan River with Peak and Sky -a.jpg| North Saskatchewan River with mountain peaks and the sky
Image:Edmlrtbridge.JPG| [[Dudley B. Menzies Bridge]] (LRT and pedestrian bridge) over North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton
Image:North Saskatchewan River Valley from Highlands Edmonton Alberta Canada 01A.jpg| A view of the North Saskatchewan River Valley from the east end of Edmonton
Image:Frozen_North_Saskatchewan.jpg|The river covered in a sheet of ice in Edmonton
Image:N saskatchewan river.jpg|North Saskatchewan River and [[Abraham Lake]] from space
Image:NSR at dusk.jpg|North Saskatchewan River near [[Myrnam, Alberta]]
Image:North Battleford from South side of North Saskatchewan River.JPG|View of the City of [[North Battleford]] across the North Saskatchewan River
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[List of crossings of the North Saskatchewan River]]
* [[List of longest rivers of Canada]]
* [[List of rivers of Alberta]]
* [[List of rivers of Saskatchewan]]
* [[Saskatchewan River fur trade]]

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Kostash |first=Myrna |title=Reading the River: A Traveller's Companion to the North Saskatchewan River |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y1Rp--pi4oQC&pg=PP1 |year=2005 |publisher=Coteau Books |isbn=978-1-5505-0317-3 |access-date=2016-04-30}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.nswa.ab.ca/ North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance - designated Watershed Planning and Advisory Council]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709074515/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/north_saskatchewan_river.html Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan]

{{Canadian Heritage Rivers System}}
{{Alberta rivers and lakes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:North Saskatchewan River| ]]
[[Category:Canadian Heritage Rivers]]
[[Category:Rivers of Alberta]]
[[Category:Rivers of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Canadian Rockies]]
[[Category:Tributaries of Hudson Bay]]