Marias River
Encyclopedia
The Marias River is a tributary of the Missouri River
, approximately 210 mi (338 km) long, in the U.S. state
of Montana
. It is formed in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
in Glacier County
, in northwestern Montana, by the confluence of the Cut Bank Creek
and the Two Medicine River
. It flows east, through Lake Elwell
, formed by the Tiber Dam
, then southeast, receiving the Teton River
at Loma
, 2 mi. (3.2 km) above its confluence with the Missouri.
The river was explored in 1805 by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
. Some of the men on the expedition mistook it for the main branch of the Missouri until their subsequent discovery of the Great Falls of the Missouri near Great Falls, Montana
. The river was named by Meriwether Lewis
after his cousin, Maria Wood.
The river was the scene of the 1870 Marias Massacre
.
The Marias is a Class I river from Tiber Dam to its confluence with the Missouri River for public access for recreational purposes.
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...
, approximately 210 mi (338 km) long, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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,...
. It is formed in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
Blackfeet Indian Reservation
The Blackfeet Indian Reservation or Blackfeet Nation is an Indian reservation of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana in the United States. It is located east of Glacier National Park and borders Canada to the north. Cut Bank Creek and Birch Creek make up part of its eastern and southern borders...
in Glacier County
Glacier County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Glacier National Park * Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,247 people, 4,304 households, and 3,245 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 5,243 housing units...
, in northwestern Montana, by the confluence of the Cut Bank Creek
Cut Bank Creek
Cut Bank Creek is a tributary of the Marias River in the Missouri river basin watershed, approximately 75 mi long, in northwestern Montana in the United States, which having deeply eroded steep cliff banks eponymously gives name to the cut bank formal terrain term of geological science.It...
and the Two Medicine River
Two Medicine River
The Two Medicine River is a tributary of the Marias River, approximately 60 mi long, in northwestern Montana in the United States....
. It flows east, through Lake Elwell
Lake Elwell
Lake Elwell is a lake in north central Montana. The reservoir was created by the damming of the Marias River at the Tiber Dam. Lake Elwell was named for Judge Charles B. Ewell , former director of the Montana Reclamation Association....
, formed by the Tiber Dam
Tiber Dam
Tiber Dam, located in southern Liberty County in northern Montana, USA, is a dam on the Marias River which forms Lake Elwell, also known as Tiber Reservoir. Construction on the dam began in 1952 and it was complete in 1956. Between 1967 and 1969, a dyke was added to the southern rim of the...
, then southeast, receiving the Teton River
Teton River (Montana)
The Teton River is a tributary of the Marias River, approximately 150 mi long, in northwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, in the southern Lewis Range of the Rocky Mountains at the continental divide...
at Loma
Loma, Montana
Loma is a census-designated place in Chouteau County, Montana, United States. The population was 92 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:Loma is located at ....
, 2 mi. (3.2 km) above its confluence with the Missouri.
The river was explored in 1805 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...
. Some of the men on the expedition mistook it for the main branch of the Missouri until their subsequent discovery of the Great Falls of the Missouri near Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
. The river was named by 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...
after his cousin, Maria Wood.
The river was the scene of the 1870 Marias Massacre
Marias Massacre
The Marias Massacre was a massacre of Piegan Blackfeet Indians by the United States Army which took place in Montana during the late nineteenth century Indian Wars.-Background:...
.
The Marias is a Class I river from Tiber Dam to its confluence with the Missouri River for public access for recreational purposes.