Musselshell River
Encyclopedia
The Musselshell River is a tributary
of the Missouri River
, 341.9 miles (550.2 km) long from its origins at the confluence of its North and South Forks near Martinsdale, Montana
to its mouth on the Missouri River
. It is located east of the Continental divide
entirely within Montana
in the United States
. Counting its pre-confluence tributaries, it measures 425–500 mi (684–804.7 km) in length.
It rises in several forks in the Crazy
, Little Belt
, and Castle
mountains in central Montana. The main branch is formed by the confluence
of the North Fork
and South Fork
in Meagher County
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of White Sulphur Springs, Montana
, just east of Martinsdale
, north of Martinsdale Reservoir, and just west of Meagher County's border with Wheatland County
. The North Fork flows south from the Little Belt Mountains through Bair Reservoir, then southeast. The South Fork flows northeast from the Crazy Mountains. From the confluence of these two waterways, the main branch flows roughly due east past Two Dot
, Harlowton
, and Roundup
, then turns north just past Melstone
, and continues to the UL Bend
on the Missouri River at the beginning of Fort Peck Reservoir
.
The Musselshell River has also been known as: Cockkleshell River, Mahtush-ahzhah, Muscleshell River, Mustleshell River, Shell River. The Musselshell was noted by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
on May 20, 1805 and named by them for the freshwater mussels
lining the bank, noting in their journals that the Minnetare
people had given the waterway a similar name.
s where it originates to prairie. It is fed largely by snowmelt and has its highest flow rates in the spring and early summer. The Musselshell River Basin, including tributaries, drains 108268 acres (438.1 km²). The South Fork has lots of brush, gravel bars, and clear water. The North Fork has willow
trees and undercut banks. The Musselshell is about 60 feet (18.3 m) wide at its confluence of the two forks. Three reservoirs built in the 1930s help control the river's flow: Bair Reservoir on the North Fork, Martinsdale Reservoir near the confluence, and Deadman's Basin on the main river between Shawmut and Ryegate
. The river becomes wider in the 50 miles (80.5 km) before Roundup. Honeysuckle
, wild rose
, willow, and cottonwood
is common in this section. The river is about 100 feet (30.5 m) wide in its last 90 miles (144.8 km), with increased choppiness and flow rate. The relatively more arid climate in this section results in less vegetation, more livestock grazing, and poorer soil. Additional tributaries of the Musselshell include: Middle Fork, Bozeman Fork, Dry Fork, American Creek Fork, Big Elk Creek, Careless Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Flat Willow Creek, Hopley Creek, Spring Creek, Swimming Woman Creek, and Willow Creek.
for farming and ranching and due to that may run dry or nearly dry in many sections during much of the summer and fall. Water supply is less in the lower basin due to the more arid climate and the fact that users in the upper basin have senior rights to the water. Fishing is popular along most parts of the Musselshell. Species of fish found on the North and/or South Forks down to Harlowton include: mountain whitefish
, and brown
, cutthroat
, rainbow
, and brook
trout
. The eastern part of the river has channel catfish
, sauger
, smallmouth bass
, and walleye
due to the warmer water caused by dewatering from irrigation and the arid climate shift from mountain to prairie ecosystems in the Musselshell's last 90 miles (144.8 km). There are three different species of freshwater mussels as well as crawdads
.
in May 2011. On May 26 the flooding inundated portions of Roundup
. Cresting and flow rate records were set along several sections of the river, such as Mosby
and Shawmut, near Harlowton
. The crest of the flood at 14.16 feet (4.3 m), more than 4 feet (1.2 m) over flood state, exceeded the record previously set in 1975.
lived. Zoologist William Temple Hornaday
of the Smithsonian Institution
harvested specimens from the region in 1886 so that future generations would know what the buffalo looked like. The Musselshell was mentioned by both Del Gue
and Jeremiah Johnson
in the film Jeremiah Johnson
. Roundup is home to the Musselshell Valley Historical Museum, which documents the region's history.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
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...
, 341.9 miles (550.2 km) long from its origins at the confluence of its North and South Forks near Martinsdale, Montana
Martinsdale, Montana
Martinsdale is an unincorporated community in southeastern Meagher County, Montana, United States. The town was a station stop on the now-abandoned transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and is a community center for nearby ranches and farms...
to its mouth on 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...
. It is located east of the Continental divide
Continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
entirely within 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,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Counting its pre-confluence tributaries, it measures 425–500 mi (684–804.7 km) in length.
It rises in several forks in the Crazy
Crazy Mountains
The Crazy Mountains, often called the Crazies, are a mountain range in the northern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana.-Geography:...
, Little Belt
Little Belt Mountains
The Little Belt Mountains are a section of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Situated mainly in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, the mountains are used for logging and recreation for the residents of Great Falls, Montana...
, and Castle
Castle Mountains (Montana)
The Castle Mountains, highest point Elk Peak, el. , are an island range east of White Sulphur Springs in Meagher County, Montana, USA. About 30,000 acres of the Castles were roadless as of 1995. The western portion of the Castles are moist, while the eastside is dry, porous limestone hills...
mountains in central Montana. The main branch is formed by the confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the North Fork
North Fork Musselshell River
The North Fork Musselshell River is a tributary of the Musselshell River, approximately 35 miles long, in Montana in the United States....
and South Fork
South Fork Musselshell River
The South Fork Musselshell River is a tributary of the Musselshell River in south central Montana in the United States.It rises in the Lewis and Clark National Forest in the Crazy Mountains in southern Meagher County. It flows northeast, joining the North Fork to form the Musselshell near...
in Meagher County
Meagher County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Gallatin National Forest *Helena National Forest *Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,932 people, 803 households, and 529 families residing in the county...
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of White Sulphur Springs, Montana
White Sulphur Springs, Montana
White Sulphur Springs is a city in and the county seat of Meagher County, Montana, United States. The population was 984 at the 2000 census.The center of population of Montana is located in White Sulphur Springs.-Geography:...
, just east of Martinsdale
Martinsdale, Montana
Martinsdale is an unincorporated community in southeastern Meagher County, Montana, United States. The town was a station stop on the now-abandoned transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and is a community center for nearby ranches and farms...
, north of Martinsdale Reservoir, and just west of Meagher County's border with Wheatland County
Wheatland County, Montana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,259 people, 853 households, and 540 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 1,154 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
. The North Fork flows south from the Little Belt Mountains through Bair Reservoir, then southeast. The South Fork flows northeast from the Crazy Mountains. From the confluence of these two waterways, the main branch flows roughly due east past Two Dot
Two Dot, Montana
Two Dot is a small unincorporated community in west-central Wheatland County, Montana, United States, along the route of U.S. Route 12.The town got its name from the cattle brand of George R. Wilson , who donated the land for the town. "Two Dot Wilson" had a cattle brand that was simply two dots,...
, Harlowton
Harlowton, Montana
Harlowton is a city in and the county seat of Wheatland County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,062 at the 2000 census. The city was once the eastern terminus of electric operations of the Milwaukee Road railroad's "Pacific Extension" route, which went all the way to Avery, Idaho. ...
, and Roundup
Roundup, Montana
Roundup is a city in and the county seat of Musselshell County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,788 during the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, then turns north just past Melstone
Melstone, Montana
Melstone is a town in far eastern Musselshell County, Montana, United States, along U.S. Route 12. The population was 136 at the 2000 census. The town was established in 1908 as a base for operating crews on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, then under construction in Montana...
, and continues to the UL Bend
UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge
UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a 56,048 acre protected area that is located in central Montana, United States. The refuge, located at the extreme southernmost tip of Phillips County, is managed and bordered on three sides by the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and the Fort Peck...
on the Missouri River at the beginning of Fort Peck Reservoir
Fort Peck Dam
The Fort Peck Dam is the highest of six major dams along the Missouri River, located in northeast Montana in the United States, near Glasgow, and adjacent to the community of Fort Peck...
.
The Musselshell River has also been known as: Cockkleshell River, Mahtush-ahzhah, Muscleshell River, Mustleshell River, Shell River. The Musselshell was noted by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
on May 20, 1805 and named by them for the freshwater mussels
Freshwater bivalve
Freshwater bivalves are one kind of freshwater molluscs. They are bivalves which live in freshwater, as opposed to saltwater. Although the majority of species of bivalve molluscs live in the sea, a number of different families of bivalves live in freshwater...
lining the bank, noting in their journals that the Minnetare
Hidatsa
The Hidatsa are a Siouan people, a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes. The Hidatsa's autonym is Hiraacá. According to the tribal tradition, the word hiraacá derives from the word "willow"; however, the etymology is not transparent and the similarity to mirahací ‘willows’ inconclusive...
people had given the waterway a similar name.
Geography
The terrain varies from the mountainous island rangeIsland range
An island range is a term used to describe a mountain range that exists in total or almost total isolation from a larger chain of ranges and sub-ranges. From a distance on the plains, these ranges appear as "islands" of higher ground...
s where it originates to prairie. It is fed largely by snowmelt and has its highest flow rates in the spring and early summer. The Musselshell River Basin, including tributaries, drains 108268 acres (438.1 km²). The South Fork has lots of brush, gravel bars, and clear water. The North Fork has willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
trees and undercut banks. The Musselshell is about 60 feet (18.3 m) wide at its confluence of the two forks. Three reservoirs built in the 1930s help control the river's flow: Bair Reservoir on the North Fork, Martinsdale Reservoir near the confluence, and Deadman's Basin on the main river between Shawmut and Ryegate
Ryegate, Montana
Ryegate is a town in and the county seat of Golden Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 268 at the 2000 census. Ryegate is situated on the north bank of the Musselshell River.-Geography:Ryegate is located at ....
. The river becomes wider in the 50 miles (80.5 km) before Roundup. Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe, India and North America have only about 20 native species each...
, wild rose
Wild Rose
Wild Rose is the name given to certain flowering shrubs:*Genus Rosa:** Rosa acicularis, or Wild Rose, a rose species which occurs in Asia, Europe, and North America...
, willow, and cottonwood
Cottonwood
Populus section Aigeiros is a section of three species in the genus Populus, the poplars. Commonly known as cottonwoods, the species are native to North America, Aigeiros and western Asia. In the past, as many as six species were recognized, but recent trends have been to accept just three species,...
is common in this section. The river is about 100 feet (30.5 m) wide in its last 90 miles (144.8 km), with increased choppiness and flow rate. The relatively more arid climate in this section results in less vegetation, more livestock grazing, and poorer soil. Additional tributaries of the Musselshell include: Middle Fork, Bozeman Fork, Dry Fork, American Creek Fork, Big Elk Creek, Careless Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Flat Willow Creek, Hopley Creek, Spring Creek, Swimming Woman Creek, and Willow Creek.
Usage
Recreational use of the Musselshell averages 63,000 visitor-days per year. Much of the water on the Musselshell is decreed water and managed by the Musselshell River Distribution Project. The Musselshell is used extensively for irrigationIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
for farming and ranching and due to that may run dry or nearly dry in many sections during much of the summer and fall. Water supply is less in the lower basin due to the more arid climate and the fact that users in the upper basin have senior rights to the water. Fishing is popular along most parts of the Musselshell. Species of fish found on the North and/or South Forks down to Harlowton include: mountain whitefish
Mountain whitefish
The mountain whitefish is one of the most widely distributed salmonid fish of western North America. It is found from the Mackenzie River drainage in Northwest Territory, Canada south through western Canada and the northwestern USA in the Pacific, Hudson Bay and upper Missouri River basins to the...
, and brown
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, cutthroat
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
, rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, and brook
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
. The eastern part of the river has channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, sauger
Sauger
The sauger is a freshwater perciform fish of the family Percidae which resembles its close relative the walleye. They are members of the largest vertebrate order, Perciforms. They are the most migratory percid species in North America. Saugers obtain two dorsal fins, the first is spiny and the...
, smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, and walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
due to the warmer water caused by dewatering from irrigation and the arid climate shift from mountain to prairie ecosystems in the Musselshell's last 90 miles (144.8 km). There are three different species of freshwater mussels as well as crawdads
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
.
Spring 2011 flood
There was major flooding on the Musselshell River2011 Musselshell River flood
The 2011 flooding on the Musselshell River in Montana began about May 21, affecting large parts of central Montana. At Mosby, Montana, the river crested at on Monday, May 23. The flood level at Mosby is and the record crest at that point along the Musselshell is , set in 1993...
in May 2011. On May 26 the flooding inundated portions of Roundup
Roundup, Montana
Roundup is a city in and the county seat of Musselshell County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,788 during the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. Cresting and flow rate records were set along several sections of the river, such as Mosby
Mosby, Montana
Mosby is an unincorporated community in southwestern Garfield County, Montana, United States. It lies along Highway 200 southwest of the town of Jordan, the county seat of Garfield County. Its elevation is 2,513 feet...
and Shawmut, near Harlowton
Harlowton, Montana
Harlowton is a city in and the county seat of Wheatland County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,062 at the 2000 census. The city was once the eastern terminus of electric operations of the Milwaukee Road railroad's "Pacific Extension" route, which went all the way to Avery, Idaho. ...
. The crest of the flood at 14.16 feet (4.3 m), more than 4 feet (1.2 m) over flood state, exceeded the record previously set in 1975.
Legacy
The Musselshell region is where the last surviving herds of wild American buffaloAmerican Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
lived. Zoologist William Temple Hornaday
William Temple Hornaday
William Temple Hornaday, Sc.D. was an American zoologist, realtor, conservationist, author, poet and songwriter...
of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
harvested specimens from the region in 1886 so that future generations would know what the buffalo looked like. The Musselshell was mentioned by both Del Gue
Stefan Gierasch
Stefan Gierasch is an American television and film actor.Stefan Gierasch has made over 100 screen appearances, mostly in American television, beginning in 1951. In the mid-60s, he performed with the Trinity Square Players in Providence, Rhode Island...
and Jeremiah Johnson
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
in the film Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah Johnson is a 1972 western film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford as the title character and Will Geer as "Bear Claw" Chris Lapp...
. Roundup is home to the Musselshell Valley Historical Museum, which documents the region's history.
See also
- 2011 Mississippi River floods2011 Mississippi River floodsThe Mississippi River floods in April and May 2011 were among the largest and most damaging recorded along the U.S. waterway in the past century, comparable in extent to the major floods of 1927 and 1993. In April 2011, two major storm systems deposited record levels of rainfall on the Mississippi...
- 2011 Missouri River floods2011 Missouri River floodsThe 2011 Missouri River floods are a flooding event on the Missouri River in the United States. The flooding has been triggered by record snowfall in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming along with near record spring rainfall in central and eastern Montana...
- 2011 Souris River flood2011 Souris River floodThe 2011 Souris River flood is a record hundred-year flooding event on the Souris, a tributary of the Assiniboine River, which it meets near Treesbank, Manitoba. The Assiniboine meets the Red River of the North south of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The flooding has affected Saskatchewan and North Dakota,...
- List of rivers of Montana
- Montana Stream Access LawMontana Stream Access LawThe Montana Stream Access Law says that anglers, floaters and other recreationists in Montana have full use of most natural waterways between the high water marks for fishing and floating, along with swimming and other river or stream-related activities...