The Battle River flows for 570 kilometres (350 mi) and drains a total area of 30,300 square kilometres (11,700 sq mi). Its mean discharge at the mouth is 10 m³/s.[5]
History
The river is said to be named for a battle that took place between the Cree and the Blackfoot.[6]
The headwaters of Battle River is Battle Lake in west-central Alberta, east of Winfield. The river flows through Alberta and into Saskatchewan, where it discharges into the North Saskatchewan River at Battleford. Over its course, the river flows through Ponoka and by Hardisty and Fabyan within Alberta. Big Knife Provincial Park is situated on the south bank of the river west of Highway 855, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest of Forestburg. The Fabyan Trestle Bridge also spans the river.
Battle Lake, Samson Lake, Driedmeat Lake, and Big Knife Lake are formed along the river, and numerous other lakes (such as Pigeon Lake, Coal Lake, Bittern Lake, Vernon Lake, Ernest Lake, and Soda Lake) lie in the Battle River hydrographic basin.
