Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River is a major tributary of the Missouri River. It is located in the Western United States. This river serves as the principal tributary for the upper Missouri River. It drains a massive area through its own network of smaller rivers. These headwaters begin in the mountains and high plains of southern Montana and northern Wyoming. The river flows northeast toward the North Dakota border. It eventually meets the Missouri River west of the city of Williston.

The river's journey begins in the Absaroka Range of northwestern Wyoming. It sits on the Continental Divide in southwestern Park County. The river forms where the North Fork and the South Fork converge. The North Fork is the larger of these two branches. It flows from Younts Peak. The South Fork starts on the southern slopes of Thorofare Mountain. From here, the water flows north through Yellowstone National Park. It drains Yellowstone Lake and drops over the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. These falls sit at the head of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

After leaving the Grand Canyon, the river enters the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. It then moves north into Montana. The river travels through the Paradise Valley between the northern Absaroka Range and the Gallatin Range.

Near the town of Livingston, the river turns east and northeast. It crosses the northern Great Plains and passes the city of Billings. Several rivers join the mainstem along this route. The Bighorn River joins it east of Billings. The Tongue River joins near Miles City. Finally, the Powder River joins in eastern Montana. The river ends at its confluence with the Missouri River near Buford, North Dakota.

Many different names have described this river throughout history. The Minnetaree name, Mi tse a-da-zi, means "Yellow Rock River." Some believe this refers to yellow rocks in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Others suggest it refers to yellow sandstone bluffs on the lower river. The Cheyenne people called it Mo'éheo'hé'e, or Yellow Rocks River. The Crow people called it E-chee-dik-karsh-ah-shay, meaning Elk River. French trappers used the name Roche Jaune. In 1805, Lewis and Clark recorded the English translation. In 1806, William Clark explored the river and named the Clark's Fork. Later, Captain Grant Marsh named many landmarks during an 1873 expedition. He named places like Chimney Rock and Diamond Island. He also named islands after his family and friends.

The Yellowstone River has a complex history of human activity. Native American tribes like the Lakota Sioux, Crow, and Cheyenne used the region for summer hunting. In the 1860s, gold was discovered near Virginia City, Montana. This led to the use of the Bozeman and Bridger Trails. European-American settlers later used riverboats for transportation.

This expansion led to conflicts such as Red Cloud's War and the Great Sioux War. The Battle of the Little Bighorn also took place near the river. By 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed. This provided rail service along the river to the north entrance of the park.

The river's water is managed for many different purposes. In Montana, the water has been used for irrigation since the 1860s. There are no storage dams on the mainstem of the Yellowstone River. However, there are six low-head diversion dams. These dams supply water to irrigation canals for farmers and ranchers. These include the Huntley Diversion Dam and the Waco Diversion Dam. The watershed also contains five major reservoirs on its tributaries. These are the Boysen, Buffalo Bill, Big Horn, Tongue River, and Lake De Smet reservoirs.

Today, the river is important for recreation and the environment. In its upper reaches, it is a popular place for fly fishing.

The river is classified as a Class I river for stream access in certain areas. However, the river has also faced environmental challenges. In July 2011, an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured west of Billings. This spill leaked about 1,500 barrels of oil into the river. The leak lasted for 56 minutes before it was shut down. This event required officials to evacuate people in Laurel, Montana. The river remains a vital part of the Western United States landscape.