Alberta's rivers flow towards three different bodies of water, the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...

, the Hudson Bay and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

is located immediately east of the continental divide, so no

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

s from Alberta reach the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

List of rivers in Alberta

The north of the province is drained towards the Arctic Ocean, and the northern rivers have comparatively higher discharge rates than the southern ones, that flow through a drier area. Most of Alberta's southern half has waters flowing toward the Hudson Bay, the only exception being the Milk River and its tributaries, that flow south through the

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

and

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

to the Gulf of Mexico.

Arctic Ocean watershed

Albertan rivers in the

watershed are drained through

Great Slave Lake Great Slave Lake (french: Grand lac des Esclaves), known traditionally as Tıdeè in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì (Dogrib), Tinde’e in Wıìlıìdeh Yatii / Tetsǫ́t’ıné Yatıé (Dogrib / Chipewyan), Tu Nedhé in Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé (Chi ...

and Mackenzie River, except for Petitot River which is drained through Liard River directly into the Mackenzie River, thus bypassing the Great Slave Lake.

Athabasca River The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is ...

** Chaba River ** Sunwapta River ** Whirlpool River **

Astoria River The Astoria River is a short river in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It is an early tributary of the Athabasca River. The Astoria forms in the Tonquin Valley, collecting meltwater from the Fraser Glacier, The Ramparts, Mount Erebus, Moun ...

Miette River The Miette River ( or ) is a short river in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It flows south-southwest through the Rocky Mountains before draining eastward into the Athabasca River at Jasper. The Miette forms at the base of Mount Moren, wi ...

Maligne River The Maligne River ( ) is a medium-sized river in the Canadian Rockies. It runs through parts of Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. The Maligne is a major tributary of the Athabasca River. The river takes from the French word for malignant or ...

** Snaring River **Rocky River **

Snake Indian River The Snake Indian River is a large tributary of the Athabasca River, exiting entirely within Jasper National Park. The Snake Indian forms at Snake Indian Pass, south of Monte Christo Mountain and Snake Indian Mountain, north of Calumet Peak. The ...

Fiddle River The Fiddle River is a medium-sized tributary of the Athabasca River, flowing into the river near the east gate of Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. The Fiddle River forms at the base of Fiddle Pass, with meltwater from Mount Bryant, Moun ...

Berland River Berland River is a stream in Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Athabasca River. A former variant name was "Baptiste Berland River". See also *List of rivers of Alberta Alberta's rivers flow towards three different bodies of water, the A ...

***Wildhay River, Little Berland River, North Berland River, South Berland River **Sakwatamau River **

Freeman River The Freeman River is a short river in west-central Alberta, Canada. The Freeman takes its name from the fur traders, who, after leaving the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company or the North West Company, decided to remain in the interior and work a ...

***Morse River **

McLeod River The McLeod River is a river in west-central Alberta, Canada. It forms in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, and is a major tributary of the Athabasca River. __TOC__ Course The river begins just outside the eastern border of Jasper Nation ...

***

Gregg River The Gregg River is a short river in west-central Alberta, Canada. The river is named after John James Gregg (1840–1941), a prospector and trapper prominent in the area.Karamitsanis, Aphrodite (1991). ''Place Names of Alberta, Volume 1''. Cal ...

, Embarras River, Erith River,

Edson River The Edson River is a minor river in west-central Alberta, Canada. The river, like the nearby town of Edson, is named for Edson Joseph Chamberlin (1852–1924), a Vice-President and General Manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Chamberlain ...

** Pembina River ***

Lovett River The Lovett River is a short river in the Alberta foothills. The Lovett is an early tributary of the Pembina River, itself a major tributary of the Athabasca River. The Lovett River was formerly known as the ''Little Pembina River'', but to avoid ...

, Lobstick River, Bigoray River, Paddle River, Steele River ** Lesser Slave River ***West Prairie River, East Prairie River, South Heart River, Driftpile River, Swan River, Assineau River, Otauwau River, Saulteaux River, Fawcett River,

Marten River The Marten River is a short river in central Alberta. The Marten is one of the major inflows of Lesser Slave Lake, which drains through the Lesser Slave River, a major tributary of the Athabasca River. Significant debate exists regarding the o ...

**Tawatinaw River **La Biche River **Calling River **La Petite Riviere Jaillante **Pelican River **House River **Licock River **Algar River **Horse River **Little Fishery River ** Clearwater River ***

Christina River The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles (56 km) long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near i ...

, Hangingstone River, Winefred River, Landels River, Graham Creek **Steepbank River **Mackay River ***Dover River **Muskeg River **Ells River **

Firebag River The Firebag River is a river in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. It gets its name from the traditional bags Aboriginals once used to carry fire-starting flints. Firebag River in western Canada It originates in ''Firebag Lake'' in northw ...

**Marguerite River **Richardson River **Maybelle River

Peace River The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in th ...

** Pouce Coupe River, Clear River, Montagneuse River, Hamelin Creek, Ksituan River, Hines Creek **Saddle River *** Spirit River **

Smoky River The Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians. It drains an area of . F ...

*** Jackpine River, Muddywater River, Sulphur River, Muskeg River, Sheep Creek, Kakwa River, Cutbank River, Simonette River, Kleskun Creek, Puskwaskau River, Bad Heart River ***

Little Smoky River The Little Smoky River is a tributary of the Smoky River in west-central Alberta, Canada. Course The river originates in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, west of Grande Cache and flows in a north-east direction throughout the foothill ...

****Waskahigan River, Iosegun River, Goose River ***

Wapiti River The Wapiti River is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin. Wapiti is named after the Cree word for elk (''waapiti''). ...

****Red Deer Creek, Belcourt Creek, Narraway River, Nose Creek, Pinto Creek, Redwillow River, Bear River **Heart River **Whitemud River ** Cadotte River **

Notikewin River The Notikewin River is a tributary of the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada. The Notikewin Provincial Park is established at the mouth of the river. The name derives from ''nôtinikewin'' (ᓅᑎᓂᑫᐃᐧᐣ), the Cree word for "battle". ...

**Wolverine River **Buffalo River **Keg River **Boyer River **Caribou River ** Wabasca River **Mikkwa River, Wentzel River, Jackfish River ** Lake Claire ***Birch River, Harper Creek, Alice Creek, McIvor River, Mamawi Lake, Baril Lake

Slave River The Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from the confluence of the Rivière des Rochers and Peace River in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. The river's name is thought to derive from the ...

** Peace-Athabasca Delta ***

Lake Athabasca Lake Athabasca (; French: ''lac Athabasca''; from Woods Cree: , "herethere are plants one after another") is located in the north-west corner of Saskatchewan and the north-east corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N in Canada. The lake ...

, Riviere Des Roches, Chilloneys Creek, Revolution Coupe, Dempsey Creek,

, Scow Channel, Murdock Creek, Darough Creek **Powder Creek **Leland Lakes **Hornaday River

* Hay River **

Chinchaga River Chinchaga is a river in north-western Alberta. It is a tributary of the Hay River. Through the Hay River, its waters are carried to the Arctic Ocean via Great Slave Lake and Mackenzie River. The name Chinchaga is First Nations, and means "Big ...

***Lennard Creek, Tanghe Creek, Werniuck Creek, Sloat Creek, Vader Creek, Thordarson Creek, Waniandy Creek, Haro River, Haig River **Meader River **Steen River **Melvin River **Little Hay River

*'' Liard'' Watershed ( BC) ** Petitot River

*Yates River

Hudson Bay watershed

Albertan Rivers in the Hudson Bay watershed are drained through

Saskatchewan River The Saskatchewan River (Cree: ''kisiskāciwani-sīpiy'', "swift flowing river") is a major river in Canada. It stretches about from where it is formed by the joining together of the North Saskatchewan and South Saskatchewan Rivers to Lake Winn ...

Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg (french: Lac Winnipeg, oj, ᐑᓂᐸᑲᒥᐠᓴᑯ˙ᑯᐣ, italics=no, Weenipagamiksaguygun) is a very large, relatively shallow lake in North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Its southern end is about north of t ...

and

Nelson River The Nelson River is a river of north-central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The river drains Lake Winnipeg and runs before it ends in Hudson Bay. Its full length (including the Saskatchewan River and Bow River) is , i ...

, except for Beaver River, which is drained through Churchill River.

North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows event ...

** Alexandra River **

Howse River The Howse River is a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River in western Alberta, Canada. The Howse River is a braided river, with several streams crossing in its flood plain. It is formed when Freshfield, Forbes, David and Lagoon Creek unite a ...

***Glacier River ** Mistaya River ** Siffleur River ***Escarpment River **

Cline River The Cline River is a short river in western Alberta, Canada. It flows from Pinto Lake and joins the North Saskatchewan River at Lake Abraham in west-central Alberta. Geography Pinto Lake is located north of Sunset Pass. The lake is fed from the ...

Bighorn River The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately long, in the states of Wyoming and Montana in the western United States. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the bighorn sheep he saw along its ba ...

Ram River The Ram River is a river rising in the Alberta Rocky Mountains. It flows eastward, taking on the North Ram River, before joining the North Saskatchewan River near the Town of Rocky Mountain House. The name ''Ram Rivulet'' appears on a David Thom ...

***North Ram River, Joyce River ** Clearwater River **Baptiste River ** Brazeau River ***Nordegg River,

Blackstone River The Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 48 mi (80 km) and drains a watershed of approximately 540 sq. mi (1,400 km2). Its long history of industrial use has left ...

, Chungo Creek, Elk River, Cardinal River, Southesk River, Cairn River ** Sturgeon River **Redwater River **Death River ** Vermilion River **Monnery River **Englishman River **Turtle Lake River **Jackfish River ** Battle River **Spruce River **Garden River

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

Oldman River The Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins the Bow River to form the South Saskatchew ...

***Livingston River ***Dutch Creek ***Racehorse Creek *** Crowsnest River ***Castle River ****South Castle River ****West Castle River ****Carbondale River ****Mill Creek ***

Belly River Belly River is a river in northwest Montana, United States and southern Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Oldman River, itself a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River. The name of the river may come from the Blackfoot word of , mean ...

**** Waterton River *** St. Mary River ***Little Bow River **

Bow River The Bow River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It begins within the Canadian Rocky Mountains and winds through the Alberta foothills onto the prairies, where it meets the Oldman River, the two then forming the South Saskatchewan River. These w ...

***Pipestone River ***

Spray River The Spray River is a tributary of the Bow River in western Alberta, Canada. The Spray River originates in the southern area of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and soon enters the Spray Lakes Reservoir formed in 1951 after the const ...

*** Cascade River ***

Kananaskis River The Kananaskis River is a mountain river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Bow River, crossing the length of Kananaskis Country. The river was named by John Palliser in 1858 after a Cree. Course The Kananaskis originates in t ...

*** Ghost River ***

Elbow River The Elbow River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River. Course The Elbow River originates at Elbow Lake in the Front Range of the Canadian Rocky ...

****Little Elbow River *** Highwood River ****

Sheep River The Sheep River is located in southwestern Alberta, Canada, and is part of the Bow River watershed. The river begins in the mountain valleys of Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park,Red Deer River The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta and a small portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and is part of the larger Saskatchewan-Nelson system that empties into Hudson Bay. Red Deer River h ...

*** Panther River ****Dormer River *** James River ***Raven River ***Little Red Deer River *** Medicine River ***

Blindman River The Blindman River is in south-central Alberta. It forms south of Winfield and flows southeastward before joining the Red Deer River near Red Deer. The Blindman is bridged by Alberta Highway 20 a number of times in its upper reaches, before passi ...

***

Rosebud River The Rosebud River is a major tributary of the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada. The Rosebud River passes through agricultural lands and ranchland for most of its course, and through badlands in its final reaches. It provides water for irri ...

*** Raven River **** North Raven River

* Beaver River ** Amisk River ** Mooselake River ** Sand River ***Wolf River ** Martineau River

Gulf of Mexico watershed

The small areas drained by the Milk River in southern Alberta and southwestern

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

as well as the Poplar River in southern Saskatchewan are the only areas in Canada that drain into the

*''

'' Watershed (United States) ** Milk River ***North Milk River ****Shanks Lake Creek ***Police Creek ***Lodge Creek ***Sage Creek ***Willow Creek ***Manyberries Creek (

Pakowki Lake Pakowki Lake is an endorheic lake in Alberta, Canada located south of Etzikom, Alberta and not far north is the former town site of Pakowki which may have received its name from the lake. It is located in the prairies of southern Alberta, at an ...

) ***

Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which en ...

References

Alberta Environment
- Alberta's River Basins

- Rivers of Canada, Source: Natural Resources Canada, GeoAccess Division. Last modified: 2005-02-02. *

External links

*
Map of watersheds in Alberta
published by Alberta's Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils {{Authority control

* Rivers