Sun River

This article is about the river. For the designated place, see Sun River, Montana.

The Sun River (also called the Medicine River) is a tributary of the Missouri River in the Great Plains, approximately 130 mi (209 km) long, in Montana in the United States.

Sun River Medicine River, Pointed Rock River
The headwaters of the Sun River in the Rockies, near Gibson Reservoir
Location of the mouth of the Sun River in Montana
Location
Country	United States
State	Montana
Cities	Fairfield, Sun River, Vaughn, Great Falls
Physical characteristics
Source	North Fork Sun River
• location	Confluence of Open Creek and McDonald Creek, Lewis and Clark County
• coordinates	47°54′43″N 112°58′23″W
• elevation	5,781 ft (1,762 m)
2nd source	South Fork Sun River
• location	Sun Lake, Lewis and Clark County
• coordinates	47°20′07″N 112°53′29″W
• elevation	6,988 ft (2,130 m)
Source confluence
• location	Near Gibson Reservoir, Lewis and Clark County
• coordinates	47°37′47″N 112°51′25″W
• elevation	4,728 ft (1,441 m)
Mouth	Missouri River
• location	Great Falls, Cascade County
• coordinates	47°29′42″N 111°18′43″W
• elevation	3,314 ft (1,010 m)
Length	130 mi (210 km)
Basin size	1,875 sq mi (4,860 km2)
Discharge
• location	Vaughn
• average	669 cu ft/s (18.9 m3/s)
• minimum	20 cu ft/s (0.57 m3/s)
• maximum	53,500 cu ft/s (1,510 m3/s)
Basin features
River system	Missouri River watershed
Tributaries
• left	North Fork Sun River, Muddy Creek
• right	South Fork Sun River, Willow Creek

Geography

Aerial view of Sun River in Cascade County in early spring 2009

It rises in the Rocky Mountains in two forks, the North Fork and South Fork, which join in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest above Gibson Reservoir along the county line between Teton and Lewis and Clark counties. It flows E, SE, and E away from the mountains, past Simms, Sun River, and Vaughn and joins the Missouri at Great Falls.

The water of the river is used extensively for irrigation, through the Sun River Project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The irrigation area covers approximately 92,000 acres (372 km²).

The North Fork of the Sun River begins high up in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and flows generally Southward for about 20 miles (32 km) until it meets up with the South Fork of the Sun River. Almost immediately the two forks flow into Gibson Reservoir, impounded by Gibson Dam. From when the water leaves the reservoir until it meets the Missouri River in Great Falls, the flowage is known as the Sun River.

The Sun is a Class I river from Gibson Dam to its confluence with the Missouri River for public access for recreational purposes.

River	Location	Discharge
North Fork Sun River	Augusta, MT	350 cu ft/s (9.9 m3/s)
South Fork Sun River	Augusta, MT	360 cu ft/s (10 m3/s)
Sun River	Fort Shaw, MT	929 cu ft/s (26.3 m3/s)

History

A sign located 3 miles south of Great Falls gives information on the history of the Sun River:

This river was called "The Medicine" by the Indians. On the return trip from the coast Capt. Lewis of the Lewis & Clark Expedition struck this river approximately 50 miles west of here. He followed it down to the Missouri passing near this point July 11, 1806. In his journal under that date he said:

"when I arrived in sight of the white-bear Islands the missouri bottoms on both sides of the river were crowded with buffaloe I sincerely believe that there were not less than 10 thousand buffaloe within a circle of 2 miles around that place"

The City of Great Falls covers a portion of the plain across which the Expedition made their difficult 18 mile portage around the falls of the Missouri in June 1805

See also

• List of rivers of Montana
• Montana Stream Access Law

External links

• EPA: Sun River Watershed
• Sun River Information