View source for Moreau River (South Dakota)

{{short description|Stream in South Dakota, USA}}
{{Infobox river
| name                 = Moreau River
| native_name          =
| native_name_lang     =
| name_other           = Tributary to Missouri River
| name_etymology       =
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image                = Moreau River Whitehorse South Dakota.jpg
| image_caption        = The Moreau River at [[Whitehorse, South Dakota|Whitehorse]]
| map                  =
| map_size             =
| map_caption          =
| pushpin_map          = South Dakota#USA
| pushpin_map_size     =
| pushpin_map_caption  = Location of Moreau River mouth
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1    = Country
| subdivision_name1    = United States
| subdivision_type2    = State
| subdivision_name2    = South Dakota
| subdivision_type3    = Counties
| subdivision_name3    = [[Dewey County, South Dakota|Dewey]]<br />[[Edmunds County, South Dakota|Edmunds]]<br />[[Ziebach County, South Dakota|Ziebach]]<br />[[Perkins County, South Dakota|Perkins]]
| subdivision_type4    =
| subdivision_name4    =
| subdivision_type5    =
| subdivision_name5    =
<!---------------------- PHYSICALCHARACTERISTICS -->
| length               = {{convert|290.75|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="geoviewer">{{cite web |title=ArcGIS Web Application |url=https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=074cfede236341b6a1e03779c2bd0692 |website=epa.maps.arcgis.com |publisher=US EPA |access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>
| width_min            =
| width_avg            =
| width_max            =
| depth_min            =
| depth_avg            =
| depth_max            =
| discharge1_location  = [[Missouri River]]
| discharge1_min       =
| discharge1_avg       = {{convert|337.63|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} at mouth with [[Missouri River]]<ref name="watershed">{{cite web |title=Watershed Report {{!}} Office of Water {{!}} US EPA |url=https://watersgeo.epa.gov/watershedreport/?comid=14497940 |website=watersgeo.epa.gov |publisher=US EPA |access-date=January 15, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
| discharge1_max       =
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1              = confluence of South and North Fork of Moreau River
| source1_location     = about 4 miles east-northeast of the intersection 156th Street and Zeona Road
| source1_coordinates  = {{coord|45.14444|-102.83926|format=dms|type:river_region:US-SD|display=inline}}<ref name="GNIS">{{cite gnis|1265832|Moreau River|January 31, 2024}}</ref>
| source1_elevation    = {{convert|2490|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="GNIS"/>|
| mouth                = [[Missouri River]]
| mouth_location       = about 10 miles west of [[Akaska, South Dakota]]
| mouth_coordinates    = {{coord|45.3247|-100.3331|format=dms|type:river_region:US-SD|display=inline,title}}<ref name="GNIS"/>
| mouth_elevation      = {{convert|1614|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="GNIS"/>
| progression          = [[Missouri River]] → [[Mississippi River]] → [[Gulf of Mexico]]
| river_system         = [[Missouri River]]
| basin_size           = {{convert|5435.32|sqmi}}<ref name="watershed"/>
| basin_population     =
| tributaries_left     = North Fork Moreau River, Ash Creek, Mud Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Brady Creek, Cabin Creek, Starve Out Creek, Rabbit Creek, Mud Creek, Berry Creek, Locate Creek, Thunder Butte Creek, Sophia Creek, Irish Creek, Red Earth Creek, Meadow Creek, Redwater Creek, Little Moreau River, Whitehorse Creek, Jewett Creek, Jolley Creek, Handbou Creek, Marshall Creek, Du Charme Creek, Tom Hill Creek, Laundreaux Creek, Le Beau Creek, Chicken Creek
| tributaries_right    = Big Cabin Creek, Little Cedar Creek, Deep Creek, Badlands Creek, Flint Rock Creek, Knife Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Ash Creek, Pretty Creek, Bear Creek, Green Grass Creek, Gorge Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Bull Creek, Swan Creek, Johnson Creek, Blue Beaver Creek, Virian Creek, Beaver Creek, Hakshela Creek, No Mouth Creek
| bridges              = Cedar Canyon Road, Bixby Road, SD 73, unnamed road, Thunder Butte Road, Leadum Pike Road, unnamed road (x4), SD 65, On the Tree Road, SD 63, unnamed road, BIA-3, The Native American Scenic Byway
| custom_label         =
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}}
[[Image:Wpdms nasa topo moreau river.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The Moreau River, highlighted on a map of the Missouri River watershed]]
The '''Moreau River''' is a tributary of the [[Missouri River]], approximately {{convert|200|mi|km}} long, in [[South Dakota]] in the [[United States]]. Moreau River has the name of a pioneer trader.<ref>{{cite book|author=Federal Writers' Project|author-link=Federal Writers' Project|title=South Dakota place-names, v.3|series=American guide series|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027015455;view=1up;seq=375|year=1940|publisher=University of South Dakota|page=6}}</ref>
It rises in two forks in northwestern South Dakota, in the [[Badlands]] of [[Butte County, South Dakota|Butte]] and [[Harding County, South Dakota|Harding]] Counties. The '''North Fork''' rises approximately {{convert|10|mi|km}} northeast of [[Crow Buttes]]. The '''South Fork''' rises approximately {{convert|20|mi|km}} west of the headwaters of the North Fork. The two forks flow ESE and unite near [[Zeona, South Dakota|Zeona]] in southern [[Perkins County, South Dakota|Perkins County]]. The combined stream flows east, past [[Usta, South Dakota|Usta]], and across the [[Cheyenne River Indian Reservation]], past [[Iron Lightning, South Dakota|Iron Lightning]], [[Thunder Butte]], [[Green Grass, South Dakota|Green Grass]] and [[Whitehorse, South Dakota|Whitehorse]]. It joins the Missouri in [[Lake Oahe]], with the lower {{convert|25|mi|km}} of the river forming an arm of the reservoir.
The river generally parallels its neighbor {{convert| 40 | miles}} to the north, the [[Grand River (South Dakota)|Grand River]], running from west to east to join the Missouri. Draining the Pierre Hills and Northern Plateaus, the Moreau (formerly '''Owl River''') has a drainage basin of approximately {{convert|5400|sqmi}}. The Moreau River also has Sand Creek as a source, along with the North and South Forks, and claims several tributaries, such as the Little Moreau, Deep, Red Earth, Antelope, and Thunder Butte Rivers.<ref name=hogan>{{Cite book|last1=Hogan |first1=Edward Patrick |last2=Fouberg |first2=Erin Hogan |year=2001 |title=The Geography of South Dakota |edition=Third |publisher=The Center for Western Studies – [[Augustana College (South Dakota)|Augustana College]] |location=Sioux Falls, SD |isbn=0-931170-79-6}}</ref> At [[Promise, South Dakota|Promise]], the river averages a flow of {{convert|296|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/sd/nwis/annual/?format=sites_selection_links&search_site_no=06361000&agency_cd=USGS&amp;referred_module=sw|title=USGS Surface Water data for South Dakota: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics}}</ref>
==Variant names==
According to the [[Geographic Names Information System]], it has also been known historically as:<ref name="GNIS"/>
*Big Owl River
*Cerwercerna River
*Hinyankaga
*Main Owl River
*Mistai'yohe
*Murow Creek
*Owl River
*Sur war har na ha River
==See also==
*[[List of rivers of South Dakota]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{cite web
| url = https://panhandletrails.weebly.com/crow-butte.html
| title = Crow Butte
| work =panhandletrails.weebly.com
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210607015158/https://panhandletrails.weebly.com/crow-butte.html
|archive-date= 7 June 2021
| accessdate = 7 May 2021}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Rivers of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Missouri River]]
[[Category:Rivers of Harding County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Rivers of Custer County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Rivers of Perkins County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Rivers of Ziebach County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Rivers of Dewey County, South Dakota]]