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

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

Course

Arethusa-Storm-Mist-Highwood-aerial
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 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. 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. Three people died as a result of the flooding of the Highwood River.

Tributaries and features

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

Tributary or feature Location Remarks
Storm Creek 50°33′57″N 114°57′11″W / 50.56597°N 114.95302°W / 50.56597; -114.95302 (Storm Creek) left tributary from Storm Mountain
Kananaskis Trail 50°32′27″N 114°56′57″W / 50.54084°N 114.94909°W / 50.54084; -114.94909 (Kananaskis Trail) Bridge
Mist Creek 50°30′50″N 114°50′19″W / 50.51388°N 114.83849°W / 50.51388; -114.83849 (Mist Creek) left tributary from Mist Mountain
Picklejar Creek 50°30′25″N 114°49′42″W / 50.50687°N 114.82833°W / 50.50687; -114.82833 (Picklejar Creek) left tributary
Loomis Creek 50°28′02″N 114°47′06″W / 50.46714°N 114.78512°W / 50.46714; -114.78512 (Loomis Creek) right tributary
McPhail Creek 50°24′59″N 114°44′43″W / 50.41631°N 114.74539°W / 50.41631; -114.74539 (McPhail Creek) right tributary
Cat Creek 50°24′29″N 114°42′45″W / 50.40797°N 114.71243°W / 50.40797; -114.71243 (Cat Creek) left tributary
Strawberry Creek 50°22′57″N 114°40′40″W / 50.38248°N 114.67775°W / 50.38248; -114.67775 (Strawberry Creek) right tributary
Fitzsimmons Creek 50°22′45″N 114°39′28″W / 50.37914°N 114.65781°W / 50.37914; -114.65781 (Fitzsimmons Creek) right tributary
Etherington Creek 50°22′46″N 114°38′58″W / 50.37944°N 114.64946°W / 50.37944; -114.64946 (Etherington Cree) right tributary
Stony Creek 50°23′18″N 114°37′09″W / 50.38832°N 114.61922°W / 50.38832; -114.61922 (Stony Creek) left tributary
Cataract Creek 50°23′23″N 114°34′57″W / 50.38986°N 114.58254°W / 50.38986; -114.58254 (Cataract Creek) right tributary
Zephyr Creek 50°23′23″N 114°34′32″W / 50.38977°N 114.57551°W / 50.38977; -114.57551 (Zephyr Creek) right tributary
Marston Creek 50°24′17″N 114°30′05″W / 50.40470°N 114.50136°W / 50.40470; -114.50136 (Marston Creek) left tributary
Deep Creek 50°25′24″N 114°28′12″W / 50.42343°N 114.46994°W / 50.42343; -114.46994 (Deep Creek) left tributary
Eden Valley Indian Reserve 216 50°25′14″N 114°28′33″W / 50.42061°N 114.47585°W / 50.42061; -114.47585 (Eden Valley start) enters reserve
Eden Valley Indian Reserve 216 50°27′31″N 114°25′27″W / 50.45863°N 114.42421°W / 50.45863; -114.42421 (Eden Valley end) leaves reserve
Waldie Creek 50°28′29″N 114°25′11″W / 50.47466°N 114.41978°W / 50.47466; -114.41978 (Waldie Creek) left tributary
Trap Creek 50°28′43″N 114°25′10″W / 50.47849°N 114.41952°W / 50.47849; -114.41952 (Trap Creek) left tributary
Sullivan Creek 50°31′51″N 114°23′06″W / 50.53074°N 114.38507°W / 50.53074; -114.38507 (Sullivan Creek) left tributary
Ings Creek 50°33′35″N 114°20′13″W / 50.55979°N 114.33701°W / 50.55979; -114.33701 (Ings Creek) left tributary
Longview 50°31′59″N 114°14′24″W / 50.53301°N 114.24000°W / 50.53301; -114.24000 (Longview) enters town limits
Cowboy Trail 50°31′24″N 114°14′01″W / 50.52346°N 114.23348°W / 50.52346; -114.23348 (Cowboy Trail) bridge
Bull Creek 50°30′20″N 114°13′58″W / 50.50548°N 114.23275°W / 50.50548; -114.23275 (Bull Creek) right tributary
Pekisko Creek 50°28′55″N 114°07′42″W / 50.48207°N 114.12843°W / 50.48207; -114.12843 (Pekisko Creek) right tributary
High River 50°34′33″N 113°54′21″W / 50.57573°N 113.90574°W / 50.57573; -113.90574 (High River) enters town limits
Highway 2A 50°34′59″N 113°52′21″W / 50.58308°N 113.87239°W / 50.58308; -113.87239 (Highway 2A) road and railroad bridge
Tongue Creek 50°38′20″N 113°52′19″W / 50.63876°N 113.87181°W / 50.63876; -113.87181 (Tongue Creek) left tributary
CPR 50°39′26″N 113°51′34″W / 50.65727°N 113.85934°W / 50.65727; -113.85934 (CPR) railroad bridge
Highway 2 50°40′06″N 113°51′44″W / 50.66836°N 113.86222°W / 50.66836; -113.86222 (Highway 2) bridge
Highway 547 50°41′49″N 113°51′50″W / 50.69705°N 113.86396°W / 50.69705; -113.86396 (Highway 547) bridge
Sheep River 50°44′25″N 113°51′21″W / 50.74024°N 113.85580°W / 50.74024; -113.85580 (Sheep River) left tributary
Highway 552 50°47′01″N 113°49′17″W / 50.78368°N 113.82126°W / 50.78368; -113.82126 (Highway 552) bridge
Bow River 50°49′08″N 113°46′42″W / 50.81898°N 113.77845°W / 50.81898; -113.77845 (Bow River) river mouth as right tributary of Bow River
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