Jefferson River
The
Jefferson River is a
tributary of the
Missouri River, approximately 207 miles (333 km) long, in the
U.S. state of
Montana. It is one of three
rivers, along with the
Madison and
Gallatin that converge near
Three Forks, Montana to form the Missouri. Along various stretches of its lenghth, it is also known as the
Red Rock River and the
Beaverhead River.
 |
The Jefferson-Beaverhead-Red Rock rivers |
It rises as the
Red Rock River in the
Centennial Mountains near the
continental divide in southwestern
Beaverhead County, near Montana's border with
Idaho, and flows west through
Upper and
Lower Red Rock lakes, then NNW past
Lima to the
Clark Canyon Reservoir, where it becomes the Beaverhead. As the Beaverhead, it flows NNE past
Dillon. Near
Twin Bridges, it is joined by the
Ruby River and the
Big Hole River, and continues as the Jefferson River north and east. Near
Cardwell, it receives the
Boulder River, and flows east to form the Missouri with the Madison and Gallatin northeast of Three Forks, approximately 28 mi (45 km) WNW of
Bozeman.
The Jefferson was named for U.S. President
Thomas Jefferson by
Lewis and Clark in 1805; the expedition traveled from Three Forks up the Jefferson and Beaverhead to a point presently beneath the waters of
Clark Canyon Reservoir, where they left the Beaverhead to travel west up Horse Prairie Creek.
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List of Montana rivers
