Bighorn River (Alberta)

{{Short description|River in Alberta, Canada}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Bighorn River

| image = Bighorn river valley 2007-06.jpg

| image_caption = Bighorn River Valley and Crescent Falls

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = Canada

| subdivision_type2 = Province

| subdivision_name2 = Alberta

| source1_location = Bighorn Meadows

| source1_coordinates= {{coord|52|17|34|N|116|32|39|W|region:CA-AB_scale:10000}}

| mouth_location = North Saskatchewan River

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|52|21|17|N|116|14|51|W|region:CA-SK_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}

| length =

| source1_elevation = {{convert|1985|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|1216|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| discharge1_avg =

| basin_size =

}}

The Bighorn River is a short river originating in the Alberta foothills, and is a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River.{{cite web |last1=Oegema |first1=Bart |title=North Saskatchewan River |url=https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/north_saskatchewan_river.html |website=ESask |publisher=University of Regina |access-date=6 May 2024}} The river, as well as the nearby Bighorn Range and Bighorn Dam are named for the Bighorn sheep which dominate the area. The name first appeared in 1865.Karamitsanis, Aphrodite (1991). Place Names of Alberta, Volume 1. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, pg. 22

Flowing under Mount McGuire, Bighorn River soon takes on Littlehorn and Sunkay Creeks, before plummeting over the impressive Crescent Falls. After the falls, the Bighorn travels through a significant canyon, before passing through the Bighorn Indian Reserve. The river then empties into the North Saskatchewan River after Lake Abraham.Mussio Ventures (2004). Southwestern Alberta Backroad Mapbook, Burnaby: Mussio Ventures.

Image:Bighornrivercanyon.JPG