I will try this topic again and try to stay on the topic this time.
As I said , I went to the Red Deer River bank to check on some flowers. I began thinking of the river system and how huge it is. What's the history of one drop of water running by me? Does it make it all the way to Hudson Bay or does it get stopped in some farmer's field.
The Red Deer River is part of a large river system. The Red Deer River comes out of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and from beginning to end is 724 km (450 mi). Many little streams join together. By the time it gets to Red Deer it's a fairly large river. It ends when it joins the south Saskatchewan River at the Saskatchewan border. The South Saskatchewan river started when the Bow River and Old Man river joined to make the south Saskatchewan river.
The South Saskatchewan river runs 550 km (346 mi) until it joins the North Saskatchewan River 25 Km east of Prince Albert. It then becomes the Saskatchewan river which flows into the north end of Lake Winnipeg. The Nelson River then takes the Lake Winnipeg water 644km (400mi) northeast where it empties into the Hudson Bay.
So how long does it take that little drop of water to make all those miles?
In the days of the fur trade, paddlers went all the way to Hudson Bay with the current and than came all the way back against the current in one summer!
It's hard to believe the size of this system which runs across three provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Yes that river system sounds huge. Thanks for explaining it. If I were a fur trader I would prefer to paddle downstream rather than upstream. Hell, I am not Popeye the Sailorman with several cans of spinach in my canoe!
ReplyDeleteWell, some time you're going to have go upstream to get back home.
DeleteAs a geography teacher, I should have thought of this, but I didn't or don't remember. It hadn't dawned on me that you were part of the Hudson Bay drainage basin.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of territory out here. There's another huge system which empties into the Arctic.
DeletePretty view of the river! 346 miles is a long river. The Susquehanna River that runs through Pennsylvania and Maryland is 444 miles long which runs into the Chesapeake Bay and then into the Atlantic Ocean. Take care, have a great day!
ReplyDeleteWe don't get much precipitation so these rivers are fed by glaciers.
DeleteWe have such a tremendous supply of fresh water in Canada. We are fortunate to live in such a place!
ReplyDeleteThat is a huge river system indeed. Thanks for all the information, Red.
ReplyDeleteYou have a huge drainage system as well...the Columbia.
DeleteMy city has the DuPage River running through it and I often wonder about the path of that water and you inspired me to Google it. It flows to the Illinois River which flows to the Mississippi River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico!
ReplyDeleteI might have my ashes scattered in the DuPage River and I wonder where I will end up!?!
Well, you'd have a good ride!
DeleteI'm sure it's still beautiful, but imagine how beautiful it must have been when the fur traders and the Native Americans (do you say Native Americans in Canada?) were the only people paddling its currents.
ReplyDeleteMost rivers here are still much the same. Mosty we use the terms First Nations or aboriginal.
DeleteWow, that is a very long river. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about Ireland as I wrote this post.
DeleteRed, an interesting post indeed. I found it fascinating that water in the Red Deer River ultimately flows into Hudson Bay, which is, of course, connected to the Atlantic Ocean. Your location, along the Red Deer River, is east of the Great Continental Divide, south of the Artic Divide, and north of the Laurentian Divide. Link to a great illustration, in the Canadian Encyclopedia …
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/continental-divide
It's one very large drainage area but I hadn't thought of it in that way.
DeleteI Googled a map to see the lay of the land. That's a long river system across central Canada.
ReplyDeleteThere's also very little precipitation in that area.
DeleteI pulled up Google Maps to trace the river. That's an amazing journey.
ReplyDeleteSome of North Dakota drains into this system.
DeleteInteresting voyage of the water!
ReplyDeleteIt's just a lot of water and a huge distance.
DeleteA great geography lesson.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I like geography.
DeleteI found that fascinating and your question about the drop of water is one that I could ponder on when I was trying to get to sleep. The answers are endless. How many molecules could the drop of water split into and scatter to the ends of the earth.
ReplyDeleteYes, you could ponder this one for a long while.
DeleteIf that drop of water could talk, what a story it could tell! That photo you shared looks like a lovely spot to settle in for awhile on a hot day!
ReplyDeleteIt's a big wide slow bend. the water is shallow and lots of sand drops out.
DeleteI enjoyed that Red, thank you!
ReplyDeletewonderful post !
ReplyDeletejust like everything including us every drop of water starts journey back to it's origin with very first step into existence :)
well mentioned here i adore how you managed to explained rivers actually ,great job and beautiful image