Brower's Spring
Encyclopedia
Brower's Spring is a spring in the Centennial Mountains
of Montana
that is believed to be the ultimate headwaters of the Missouri River
.
The spring is named for Jacob V. Brower
who in 1896 declared it to be the source of the Missouri in The Missouri: Its Utmost Source. He visited the site in 1888 and buried a copper plate with his name and date.
The spring is 100 miles (200 km) further than the spot Meriwether Lewis
reported in 1805 as the source of the river above Lemhi Pass
on Trail Creek. Both sources are near the Continental Divide
in Montana. It is 298.3 miles (480.1 km) from where the Missouri River officially starts.
The site of Brower's Spring at around 9,030 feet (2,750 m) , 0.4 mi. and 500 feet above Red Rock Creek. It is commemorated by a rock pile. Red Rock Creek flows west into Red Rock River
, which flows through Upper, then Lower Red Rock Lakes, west through Lima Reservoir, and then northwest into Clark Canyon Reservoir
. From Clark Canyon Reservoir the Beaverhead River
flows northeast to joins the Big Hole River
, forming the Jefferson River
, which with the Madison
and Gallatin River
s form the Missouri at Missouri River Headwaters State Park at Three Forks, Montana
.
According to Google Earth, the Spring is at 44.5505 N, 111.4842 W, just below a ridge extending to the southeast from the peak of Mt. Jefferson, about 20 miles southwest of West Yellowstone, MT, and about 0.4 mile southwest of the nearest (straight line distance) point on the Continental Divide Trail. The Google Earth description has it located to the left of an unnamed stream. The topo map also shows an intermittent stream higher on the ridge at about 9,300 feet but intermittent streams are not considered the source of streams.
As of 10 February 2007, the site was not listed as an official name on the Geographic Names Information System maintained by USGS.
Centennial Mountains
The Centennial Mountains are the southernmost sub-range of the Bitterroot Range in the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana. The Centennial Mountains include the Western and Eastern Centennial Mountains...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
that is believed to be the ultimate headwaters of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
.
The spring is named for Jacob V. Brower
Jacob V. Brower
Jacob Vandenberg Brower was a prolific writer of the Upper Midwest region of the United States who championed the location and protection of the utmost headwaters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.He was born in Michigan and moved to Minnesota...
who in 1896 declared it to be the source of the Missouri in The Missouri: Its Utmost Source. He visited the site in 1888 and buried a copper plate with his name and date.
The spring is 100 miles (200 km) further than the spot Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
reported in 1805 as the source of the river above Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the continental divide, at an elevation of 7373 feet above sea level.-History:...
on Trail Creek. Both sources are near the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
in Montana. It is 298.3 miles (480.1 km) from where the Missouri River officially starts.
The site of Brower's Spring at around 9,030 feet (2,750 m) , 0.4 mi. and 500 feet above Red Rock Creek. It is commemorated by a rock pile. Red Rock Creek flows west into Red Rock River
Red Rock River (Montana)
The Red Rock River is a roughly river in southwestern Montana in the United States. Its drainage basin covers over . Its farthest tributary, Hell Roaring Creek, originates in the Beaverhead National Forest near the Montana-Idaho border at Brower's Spring, at an elevation of...
, which flows through Upper, then Lower Red Rock Lakes, west through Lima Reservoir, and then northwest into Clark Canyon Reservoir
Clark Canyon Dam
Clark Canyon Dam is an earthfill dam located in Beaverhead County, Montana, about 20 miles south of the county seat of Dillon. The dam impounds the waters of the Beaverhead River, creating a body of water known as Clark Canyon Reservoir...
. From Clark Canyon Reservoir the Beaverhead River
Beaverhead River
The Beaverhead River is an approximately -long tributary of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana . It drains an area of roughly . The river's original headwaters, formed by the confluence of the Red Rock River and Horse Prairie Creek, are now flooded under Clark Canyon Reservoir, which also...
flows northeast to joins the Big Hole River
Big Hole River
The Big Hole River is a tributary of the Jefferson River, approximately 153 miles long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in Skinner lake in the Beaverhead National Forest in the Beaverhead Mountains of the Bitterroot Range at the continental divide along the...
, forming the Jefferson River
Jefferson River
The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks...
, which with the Madison
Madison River
The Madison River is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 183 miles long, in Wyoming and Montana. Its confluence with the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana form the Missouri River....
and Gallatin River
Gallatin River
The Gallatin River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 120 mi , in the U.S. states of Wyoming and Montana...
s form the Missouri at Missouri River Headwaters State Park at Three Forks, Montana
Three Forks, Montana
Three Forks is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, United States and is located within the watershed valley system of both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers drainage basins — and is historically considered the birthplace or start of the Missouri River. The population was 1,728 at the 2000 census...
.
According to Google Earth, the Spring is at 44.5505 N, 111.4842 W, just below a ridge extending to the southeast from the peak of Mt. Jefferson, about 20 miles southwest of West Yellowstone, MT, and about 0.4 mile southwest of the nearest (straight line distance) point on the Continental Divide Trail. The Google Earth description has it located to the left of an unnamed stream. The topo map also shows an intermittent stream higher on the ridge at about 9,300 feet but intermittent streams are not considered the source of streams.
As of 10 February 2007, the site was not listed as an official name on the Geographic Names Information System maintained by USGS.