Red Deer River (Alta. and Sask.)

The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta and a small portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and is part of the larger Saskatchewan / Nelson system that empties into Hudson Bay. The river has a total length of 724 km (450 mi) and a drainage area of 45,100 km2 (17,400 sq mi). Its mean discharge is 70 m3/s (2,500 cu ft/s). The river is named for the translation of a native term for the river, wâwâskêsiw sîpiy, which means "elk river" in the Cree language. "Red deer" was an alternative name for elk, referring to a closely related Eurasian species. Communities located along the Red Deer River include Sundre, Red Deer, Drumheller, and Empress, The city of Brooks, as well as Dinosaur Provincial Park, are also located in the Red Deer River Basin. A glacial flood about 18,000 years ago eroded out a portion of this basin and apparently all or most of the scenic badlands bearing the dinosaur and other Cretaceous fossils.