Boulder River (southwestern Montana)

For other places with the same name, see Boulder River.
Boulder River
Boulder River (southwestern Montana) is located in Montana
Boulder River (southwestern Montana)
Location of the mouth of the southwestern Boulder River in Montana
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountyJefferson
Physical characteristics
SourceContinental Divide
 • locationBoulder Mountains, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
 • coordinates46°11′22″N 112°31′54″W / 46.18944°N 112.53167°W / 46.18944; -112.53167[1]
 • elevation7,339 ft (2,237 m)[2]
MouthJefferson River
 • location
Cardwell
 • coordinates
45°52′01″N 111°56′44″W / 45.86694°N 111.94556°W / 45.86694; -111.94556[1]
 • elevation
4,278 ft (1,304 m)[1]
Length77.3 mi (124.4 km)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationBoulder
 • average119 cu/ft. per sec.[4]

The Boulder River is a 77-mile (124 km) tributary of the Jefferson River in southwestern Montana in the United States.[3]

It rises in the Rocky Mountains at the continental divide in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in western Jefferson County. It flows east and southeast through the mountains past Boulder, then south to join the Jefferson near Cardwell.[5]

Game fish in the river include brook, brown, and rainbow trout, and mountain whitefish.[6] Brown trout are most prevalent in the last 2 miles (3 km), near the mouth, and the other three species are more prevalent in the reach upstream of the town of Boulder.[6] The lowermost 12 miles (19 km) of the river is affected by irrigation withdrawals, and the reach below the community of Basin is affected by seepage from old mines and tailings.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Boulder River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. April 4, 1980. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  2. ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. ^ a b "Assessment Data for Montana, Boulder Watershed (8 Digit USGS Cataloging Unit)". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2006. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  4. ^ USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics for Montana
  5. ^ United States Geological Survey (USGS). "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map". TopoQuest. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c "Detailed Waterbody Report: Boulder River". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2013.


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