Souris River Explained

Souris River
Name Other:Mouse River, French: Rivière Souris
Map:Sourisrivermap.png
Map Size:250px
Pushpin Map Size:250px
Subdivision Type1:Countries
Subdivision Type2:Provinces
Subdivision Type3:State
Subdivision Name3:North Dakota
Subdivision Type5:Cities
Length:435miles
Discharge1 Location:Weyburn, SK; river mile 97.9 (river kilometre 157.6)
Source1:north of Weyburn
Source1 Location:Saskatchewan
Source1 Coordinates:49.8314°N -103.7961°W
Mouth:Assiniboine River
Mouth Location:Manitoba, Canada
Mouth Coordinates:49.665°N -99.5686°W
River System:Red River drainage basin
Basin Size:23600sqmi
Tributaries Left:Antler
Tributaries Right:Gainsborough
Extra:[1] [2]

The Souris River (; French: rivière Souris) or Mouse River (as it is alternatively known in the U.S., a translation of its French name) is a river in central North America. Approximately 435miles in length, it drains about 23600sqmi in Canada and the United States.

Rising in southern Saskatchewan in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, the river wanders southeast into the U.S. through North Dakota beyond Minot to its most southern point at Velva, and then back north into Canada in southwestern Manitoba.

Flowing east, it passes through the communities of Melita, Hartney, Souris, and Wawanesa, Manitoba, prior to the confluence with the Assiniboine River near Treesbank, about southeast of Brandon. The main tributaries of the Souris in Manitoba are the Antler River, Gainsborough Creek, and Plum Creek. The elevation at the confluence is approximately above sea level.

At the end of the last ice age, over 10,000 years ago, the rapid draining of former Glacial Lake Regina eroded a large channel that is now occupied by the much smaller contemporary Souris River.[3] Also, much of the drainage basin is fertile silt and clay deposited by another former glacial lake, Lake Souris.

Flow rates and flood potential

During the period from 1930 to 1941 severe drought conditions prevailed and PFRA constructed four stock watering dams. In 1937 the Snyder and Ross Dams were built near Melita. In 1938 the Napinka Dam was built and the Hartney Dam was built in 1941. These were all stop log dams with a total capacity of 2400acre.ft. The Souris Dam was originally built in 1911 and was rebuilt in 1935. The Wawanesa Dam was completed in 1951 storing about 320acre.ft of water.

Most of the annual flow of the Souris River comes from snow melt and spring rains. The annual flow volume varies dramatically from 3400acre.ft in 1937 to 2100000acre.ft in 1976. It is expected that the total runoff for 2011 at Wawanesa will exceed 3800000acre.ft about a one in 500-year event. The average annual runoff is equivalent to 3 mm over the entire Souris River watershed.[4]

Two large dams in Saskatchewan, Rafferty Dam and Grant Devine Dam were built, in part, to reduce flood peaks on the Souris River.

In summer 2011, a historic flood affected much of the Souris River basin, overtopping levees and causing the evacuation of about 11,000 residents in Minot as well as significant damage to farmland and other property along the length of the river.

The channel capacity of the river in Manitoba varies from about 150cuft/s near the border, to about 1400cuft/s through Melita, to about 1100cuft/s near Lauder and 1700cuft/s near Hartney. North of Hartney the capacity increases to more than 3000cuft/s. The drop between the border and Hartney is only about 6in/mi.

Location1882 Peak Flow (cfs) (Estimated) [5] [6] [7] [8] 1976 Peak Flow (cfs) [9] 2011 Peak Flow (cfs) [10] [11] [12]
Minot22,813.3[13] 9,35026,900
Westhope18,500[14] 12,40030,400
Melita30,017.5[15] 21,30026,800
SourisN/A24,80028,200
Wawanesa39,905.6[16] 26,20027,800

Tributaries

Communities along the river

Cities and towns

Rural Municipalities

Bridges across the river

NRHP-listed crossing in Minot, North Dakota

NRHP-listed crossing in McHenry County, North Dakota

NRHP listed crossing in McHenry County, North Dakota

Fish species

Fish species include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker, black bullhead, goldeye, brown bullhead, smallmouth bass, and burbot.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Geographical Names (Souris River). 2014-08-29.
  2. Web site: Atlas of Canada Toporama. 2014-08-29.
  3. Web site: Proglacial Lakes . Esask . Government of Saskatchewan . 31 March 2022.
  4. Archived data from Water Survey Canada
  5. Rannie. William .F.. The Role of the Assiniboine River in the 1826 and 1852 Red River Floods. Prairie Perspectives: Geographical Essays. 5. 56–75. B.D. Thraves. Regina. 2002. University of Regina, Department of Geography.
  6. Web site: Recent Flooding and Flood Mitigation in Manitoba. Eugene F. Kozera, P. Eng.. 2011. Province of Manitoba.
  7. Web site: Water Survey of Canada - SOURIS RIVER AT MELITA (05NF001). Environment Canada.
  8. Web site: Water Survey of Canada - SOURIS RIVER AT WAWANESA (05NG001). Environment Canada.
  9. Web site: Daily Water Levels and Forecasts Souris River May 23, 2011. Province of Manitoba. 2011.
  10. Web site: Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Plan - Preliminary Engineering Report. North Dakota State Water Commission. February 29, 2012.
  11. Web site: 2011 Post-Flood Report for the Souris River Basin – Revised March 2012. US Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District. March 2012.
  12. Web site: Daily Flood Sheet Souris River July 12, 2014. Province of Manitoba. 2014.
  13. Converted from 646 (m3/s)
  14. Estimated from graph
  15. Converted from 850 (m3/s)
  16. Converted from 1130 (m3/s)