Flathead River
The Flathead River (Salish: člq̓etkʷ ntx̣ʷetkʷ, ntx̣ʷe, Kutenai: kananmituk), in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana, originates in the Canadian Rockies to the north of Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Flathead Lake, then after a journey of 158 miles (254 km), empties into the Clark Fork. The river is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, as the Clark Fork is a tributary of the Pend Oreille River, a Columbia River tributary. With a drainage basin extending over 8,795 square miles (22,780 km2) and an average discharge of 11,380 cubic feet per second (322 m3/s), the Flathead is the largest tributary of the Clark Fork and constitutes over half of its flow.
| Flathead River | |
|---|---|
The river near Perma, Montana | |
Map of the Flathead River, its tributary forks and downriver connection to the Columbia River via Clark Fork and the Pend Oreille River | |
| Native name |
|
| Location | |
| Country | United States, Canada |
| State | Montana |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence of North Fork and Middle Fork Flathead River |
| • location | Rocky Mountains |
| • coordinates | 48°28′2″N 114°4′10″W |
| • elevation | 3,120 ft (950 m) |
| Mouth | Clark Fork |
• location | Montana |
• coordinates | 47°21′56″N 114°46′34″W |
• elevation | 2,484 ft (757 m) |
| Length | 158 mi (254 km) |
| Basin size | 8,795 sq mi (22,780 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near mouth, at Perma, MT; max at Polson, MT |
| • average | 11,380 cu ft/s (322 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 2,670 cu ft/s (76 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 110,000 cu ft/s (3,100 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Middle Fork Flathead River, South Fork Flathead River, Swan River (Montana) |
| • right | Stillwater River, North Fork Flathead River |
National Wild and Scenic River | |
| Type | Wild 97.9 miles (157.6 km) Scenic 40.7 miles (65.5 km) Recreational 80.4 miles (129.4 km) |
| Designated | October 12, 1976 |
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