Belt Creek (Montana)

Belt Creek
Cliffs in Sluice Boxes State Park
Belt Creek flowing below the cliffs of
Sluice Boxes State Park
Location of Belt Creek in Montana.
Location of Belt Creek in Montana.
Mouth of Belt Creek in Montana
Native namekɔyɔ́ɔteihíniicááh (Gros Ventre)
Location
CountryCascade and Chouteau County, Montana
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates46°50′45″N 110°40′09″W / 46.84583°N 110.66917°W / 46.84583; -110.66917 (Belt Creek)[1]
Mouth 
 • coordinates
47°35′53″N 111°02′55″W / 47.59806°N 111.04861°W / 47.59806; -111.04861 (Belt Creek)[1]
 • elevation
2,792 feet (851 m)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationnear Portage
 • average249 cu ft/s (7.1 m3/s)[2]
Basin features
River systemMissouri River

Belt Creek (Gros Ventre: kɔyɔ́ɔteihíniicááh, lit. 'belt river'[3]) is a tributary, approximately 80 mi (129 km) long, of the Missouri River in western Montana in the United States.

It originates in the Lewis and Clark National Forest north of Big Baldy Mountain, in the Little Belt Mountains in western Judith Basin County. It flows northwest through mountainous canyons (Limestone Canyon) past Monarch, through Sluice Boxes State Park, and flows through Armington and Belt. It finally joins the Missouri approximately 15 mi (25 km) northwest of Great Falls of the Missouri and 2 miles (3 km) downstream of Morony Dam.[4]

It is named for the Little Belt Mountains, which it flows through.[3]

Willow, cottonwood, chokecherry, and wild roses grow in part of the canyon stretch and in a large band in the foothill zone.[4] Brook, Brown, and Rainbow Trout have been introduced to the creek.[4] Native fish include several minnows, mooneye, perch, sculpin, 4 types of suckers, and 2 types of trout.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Belt Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics for Montana: Belt Creek near Portage MT". Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Cowell, A.; Taylor, A.; Brockie, T. "Gros Ventre ethnogeography and place names: A diachronic perspective". Anthropological Linguistics. 58 (2): 132–170. doi:10.1353/anl.2016.0025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Belt Creek". Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Retrieved 15 September 2023.