Elk River (Alberta)

The Elk River is a short river rising in the eastern portion of the Alberta foothills. The river begins south of the ghost town of Coalspur and heads east before draining into the Brazeau Reservoir created by the Brazeau Dam on the Brazeau River, a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River.

The river follows the Elk River Road for much of its course. The Elk River Provincial Recreation Area is also located on the river.

Physical characteristics
Alberta Environment, a Ministry of the Government of Alberta, undertook a survey of the Elk River in the 1980s. The following data was generated from the survey:

Reach number 1 Valley characteristics Valley Flat River Channel
 * Terrain Surrounding Valley: Rolling hills, ground moraine
 * Description: Wide, stream cut valley
 * Terraces: 2 fragmentary levels
 * Width: 750 m
 * Description: Broad alluvial floodplain occasionally marked by oxbow cutoffs
 * Pattern: Irregular meanders
 * Islands: None
 * Bar type: Point bars
 * Bed material: Sand with local gravel
 * Bank material: Sand and gravel overlain by silt

Reach number 2 Valley characteristics Valley flat River channel
 * Terrain surrounding valley: Rolling hills, ground moraine
 * Description: Broad glacial spillway channel now occupied by a smaller underfit stream
 * Terraces: None
 * Width: 500 m
 * Description: Broad alluvial floodplain marked by numerous cutoffs
 * Pattern: Irregular to tortuous meanders
 * Islands: None
 * Bar type: Point bars
 * Bed material: Sand with local gravel
 * Bank material: Sand and gravel overlain by silt, occasional till where channel is confined

Reach number 3 Valley characteristics Valley flat River channel
 * Terrain surrounding valley: Rolling hills, fluted ground moraine
 * Description: Wide, stream cut valley
 * Terraces: None
 * Width: 400 m
 * Description: Alluvial valley marked by oxbow cutoffs
 * Pattern: Irregular meanders
 * Islands: None
 * Bar type: Point bars, side bars
 * Bed material: Sand with local gravel
 * Bank material: Sand, gravel, and till

Reach number 4 Valley characteristics Valley flat River channel
 * Terrain surrounding valley: Fluted ground moraine, some outwash
 * Description: Narrow stream cut valley
 * Terraces: None
 * Width: >100 m
 * Description: Highly variable
 * Pattern: Irregular
 * Islands: None
 * Bar type: Point bars, side bars
 * Bed material: Sand with local gravel
 * Bank material: Sand, gravel, and till

Reach number 5 Valley characteristics Valley flat River channel
 * Terrain surrounding valley: Rolling hills, ground moraine
 * Description: Narrow stream cut valley
 * Terraces: None
 * Width: >100 m
 * Description: Fragmentary
 * Pattern: Irregular to sinuous
 * Islands: None
 * Bar type: Side bars
 * Bed material: Gravel
 * Bank material: Gravel, outwash, and till

Reach number 6 Valley characteristics Valley flat River channel
 * Terrain surrounding valley: Rolling upland, ground moraine
 * Description: Wide, stream cut valley
 * Terraces: None
 * Width: 400 m
 * Description: Wide alluvial flat marked by oxbow cutoffs
 * Pattern: Tortuous meanders
 * Islands: None
 * Bar type: Point bars
 * Bed material: Sand
 * Bank material: Sand overlain by silt