The Sheep River is located in southwestern Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, and is part of the Bow River

Bow River

The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....

 watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

. The river begins in the mountain valleys of Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park

Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park

Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park is a provincial park and wildlife reserve located in the Kananaskis Country in south-western Alberta, Canada.-Activities:...

, passes through Sheep River Provincial Park, and joins with the Highwood River

Highwood River

The Highwood River is a river located in southwestern Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Bow River watershed. The river is known for its flyfishing. A variety of trout species live in the river, including native bull trout.-Course:...

 about 8 km east of Okotoks

Okotoks, Alberta

Okotoks is a town situated on the Sheep River, south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of communities within the Calgary Region. Okotoks has become a popular bedroom community for the City of Calgary...

. The Sheep provides drinking water for the towns of Turner Valley

Turner Valley, Alberta

Turner Valley is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located southwest of Calgary.Situated on Highway 22 , the town was once the centre of an oil and natural gas boom. For 30 years, the Turner Valley Oilfields was a major supplier of oil and gas and the largest producer in the British Empire, but is...

, Black Diamond

Black Diamond, Alberta

Black Diamond is a sister town to Turner Valley. There exists a three-kilometer trail next to the roadway between Black Diamond and Turner Valley named the Friendship Trail. It has a hospital, shops, hotels and residences, an elementary school [K-6] and highschool [7-12] as well a hockey rink and...

, and Okotoks

Okotoks, Alberta

Okotoks is a town situated on the Sheep River, south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of communities within the Calgary Region. Okotoks has become a popular bedroom community for the City of Calgary...

.

Tributaries

From origin to mouth, the Sheep River receives water from the following tributaries:

• Rae Creek (from Mount Rae
  Mount Rae
  Mount Rae is a mountain located on the east side of Highway 40 between Elbow Pass and the Ptarmigan Cirque in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. Mount Rae was named after John Rae, explorer of Northern Canada, in 1859....
  
  )
• Burns Creek
• Cliff Creek
• Junction Creek
• Bluerock Creek
• Gorge Creek
• Dyson Creek
• March Creek
• Coal Creek
• Wolf Creek
• Long Prairie Creek
• Macabee Creek
• Waite Valley Creek
• Lineham Creek
• Turner Valley
• Threepoint Creek
• Spring Creek
• Wilson Coulee

External links

• Sheep River Wildlife Sanctuary