Judith River

The Judith River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 124 mi (200 km) long, running through central Montana in the United States. It rises in the Little Belt Mountains and flows northeast past Utica and Hobson. It is joined by Dry Wolf Creek in northern Fergus County, and itself joins the Missouri in the White Cliffs Area approximately 18 mi (29 km) northwest of Winifred.

Judith River
Judith River near Hanover Road
The Judith River
Location
CountryFergus and Judith Basin County, Montana
Physical characteristics
Source 
  coordinates46°50′32.7″N 110°30′23.3″W
Mouth 
  coordinates
47°44′06″N 109°38′46″W
  elevation
2,408 feet (734 m)
Discharge 
  locationnear mouth, (near Winifred)
  average292 cu ft/s (8.3 m3/s)
Basin features
River systemMissouri River
Tributaries 
  leftBig Spring Creek

The river gives its name to the Judith River Group of the late Cretaceous, a notable area for excavation of dinosaur fossils that stretches from Montana into southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. The river was named by William Clark. William Clark came across a stream which he considered particularly clear and pretty, and named it the Judith River, in honor of his cousin Julia Hancock. It is also known for its large amount of Cretaceous dinosaur fossils, including those of Tyrannosaurus, Styracosaurus and Edmontosaurus.

The Judith is a Class I river from the confluence with Big Spring Creek to its confluence with the Missouri River for public access for recreational purposes.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.