Whitemud River

This article is about the river in Manitoba. For the river known locally as the Whitemud in Saskatchewan and Montana, see Frenchman River. For the river in Alberta, see Whitemud Creek.
Whitemud River
Whitemud River in Westbourne
Whitemud River is located in Manitoba
Whitemud River
Location
Canada
ProvinceManitoba
Physical characteristics
MouthLake Manitoba
 • location
Lynchs Point
 • coordinates
50°18′08″N 98°35′15″W / 50.30222°N 98.58750°W / 50.30222; -98.58750
 • elevation
247 m (810 ft)
Basin size7,110 km2 (2,747 sq mi)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationWestbourne
 • average6.91 m3/s (244 cu ft/s)[2]
 • minimum0.107 m3/s (3.8 cu ft/s)[2]
 • maximum94.4 m3/s (3,330 cu ft/s)[2]

The Whitemud River is a small, highly meandering river in southwest Manitoba, Canada.[3] It begins at the confluence of Stony Creek and Boggy Creek in Neepawa, and flows east to Arden, Gladstone, Westbourne, discharging into Lake Manitoba at Lynchs Point. Its total drainage area is 7,110 square kilometres (2,747 sq mi).[1]

The fur trader Alexander Henry referred to it in 1799 as Riviere Terre Blanche, translated as "White Earth River" or "White Mud River", likely deriving its name from the colour of the clay and soil along its banks.[4]

Geography

Other major streams feeding the river include the Big Grass River, Pine Creek, Squirrel Creek, Westbourne Drain and Rat Creek.[5]

The river's depth ranges from a few centimeters in the summer to several meters in flood events. Fish species known to inhabit the river include northern pike, white suckers, flathead minnows, emerald shiners, common carp and walleye.

Flows vary dramatically from year to year. The peak flow, measured at Westbourne in April 1979, was 310 cubic metres per second (11,100 cu ft/s), and zero flow has been measured on several occasions. Annual runoff volume has varied from 36,000,000 cubic metres (29,000 acre⋅ft) in 1989 to 611,000,000 cubic metres (495,000 acre⋅ft) in 2001. The mean annual volume at Westbourne is 199,000,000 cubic metres (161,000 acre⋅ft).[6]

History

Fur trader Alexander Henry referred to it in 1799 as Riviere Terre Blanche, translated as 'White Earth River' or 'White Mud River', likely deriving its name from the colour of the clay and soil along its banks. This clay, also found on alkaline flats or the mud on the lower river, would become greyish-white when used for plastering the chinks of log houses. In addition to the two translated English names, other variations of the river's name included White River (1808) and Little Mud River (1885). In 1933, its name was spelled as one word.[4]

In the early 19th century, traders of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) would spend their winters at the mouth of the Whitemud River, along the shore of Lake Manitoba. In 1815, a winter fur-trade post was established there, called Big Point House or Manitoba Lake House. It was expanded in 1820, but abandoned by 1824.[7]

Big Point House was in operation again from 1862 until circa 1894.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Whitemud Watershed". whitemudwatershed.ca. Whitemud Watershed Conservation District. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Monthly Discharge Data for WHITEMUD RIVER AT WESTBOURNE (05LL002) [MB]". wateroffice.ec.gc.ca. Environment Canada. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Whitemud River". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Geographical Names of Manitoba" (PDF). gov.mb.ca. Manitoba Geographical Names Program. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. ^ Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - PFRA 2004. Summary of Resources and Land Use Issues Related to Riparian Areas in the Whitemud River Watershed.
  6. ^ Archived data from Water Survey Canada
  7. ^ a b "Hudson's Bay Company: Big Point House". pam.minisisinc.com. Archives of Manitoba - Keystone Archives Descriptive Database. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

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