Introduction to Our Watershed
The Moose Jaw River Watershed is 9360 square kilometres in size. This area includes 22 rural municipalities, two towns, 10 villages and the City of Moose Jaw. We want to acknowledge that the Moose Jaw River Watershed is located on Treaty 4 land, the traditional home of Cree, Saulteaux bands of the Ojibwa peoples, the Assiniboine peoples, and the Métis peoples. Indigenous peoples were the original stewards of the land and have been caring for our watershed for thousands of years.
The upper headwaters of the Moose Jaw River are located approximately 30 km west of Weyburn in very flat terrain. The river flows northwest, with small tributaries entering the river from rugged terrain in the southwest. Near the town of Rouleau, the Moose Jaw River is joined by Avonlea Creek, a significant contributor of runoff. In the City of Moose Jaw, the Moose Jaw River is joined by Thunder Creek.
Thunder Creek, with its headwaters southwest of Central Butte, flows southeast through Paysen and Kettlehut Lakes, and into Pelican Lake. Water from Pelican lake usually doesn't flow into Moose Jaw, because of the high elevation of the outlet. Most of the flowing water from the Thunder Creek system is from Sandy Creek, whose headwaters are in the Missouri Coteau southwest of Mortlach.
From the City of Moose Jaw the river flows northeast, joining the Qu'Appelle River approximately five kilometres downstream of Buffalo Pound Lake. The Moose Jaw River is the largest tributary to the Qu'Appelle River.
