Whitemud River

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title: "Whitemud River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-manitoba", "lake-manitoba", "bodies-of-water-of-westman-region,-manitoba"] description: "River in Manitoba, Canada" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-manitoba" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitemud_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in Manitoba, Canada ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Whitemud River
image	Whitemud westboune.jpg
image_caption	Whitemud River in Westbourne
pushpin_map	Manitoba
subdivision_name1	Canada
subdivision_type2	Province
subdivision_name2	Manitoba
length
discharge1_location	Westbourne
discharge1_min	0.107 m3/s
discharge1_avg	6.91 m3/s
discharge1_max	94.4 m3/s
mouth	Lake Manitoba
mouth_location	Lynchs Point
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation	247 m
basin_size	2747 mi2
::

::callout[type=note] the river in Manitoba ::

| name = Whitemud River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | image = Whitemud westboune.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Whitemud River in Westbourne | image_alt = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_alt = | pushpin_map = Manitoba | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | pushpin_map_alt = | subdivision_type1 = | subdivision_name1 = Canada | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = Manitoba | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | length = | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= Westbourne | discharge1_min = 0.107 m3/s | discharge1_avg = 6.91 m3/s | discharge1_max = 94.4 m3/s | source1 = | source1_location = | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = | mouth = Lake Manitoba | mouth_location = Lynchs Point | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 247 m | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 2747 mi2 | basin_landmarks = | basin_population = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | bridges = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =

The Whitemud River is a small, highly meandering river in southwest Manitoba, Canada. It begins at the confluence of Stony Creek and Boggy Creek in Neepawa, and flows east to Arden, Gladstone, Westbourne, discharging into Lake Manitoba at Lynchs Point. Its total drainage area is 2747 sqmi.

The fur trader Alexander Henry referred to it in 1799 as Riviere Terre Blanche, translated as "White Earth River" or "White Mud River", likely deriving its name from the colour of the clay and soil along its banks.

Geography

Other major streams feeding the river include the Big Grass River, Pine Creek, Squirrel Creek, Westbourne Drain and Rat Creek.

The river's depth ranges from a few centimeters in the summer to several meters in flood events. Fish species known to inhabit the river include northern pike, white suckers, flathead minnows, emerald shiners, common carp and walleye.

Flows vary dramatically from year to year. The peak flow, measured at Westbourne in April 1979, was 11100 cuft/s, and zero flow has been measured on several occasions. Annual runoff volume has varied from 29000 acre.ft in 1989 to 495000 acre.ft in 2001. The mean annual volume at Westbourne is 161000 acre.ft.

History

Fur trader Alexander Henry referred to it in 1799 as Riviere Terre Blanche, translated as 'White Earth River' or 'White Mud River', likely deriving its name from the colour of the clay and soil along its banks. This clay, also found on alkaline flats or the mud on the lower river, would become greyish-white when used for plastering the chinks of log houses. In addition to the two translated English names, other variations of the river's name included White River (1808) and Little Mud River (1885). In 1933, its name was spelled as one word.

In the early 19th century, traders of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) would spend their winters at the mouth of the Whitemud River, along the shore of Lake Manitoba. In 1815, a winter fur-trade post was established there, called Big Point House or Manitoba Lake House. It was expanded in 1820, but abandoned by 1824.

Big Point House was in operation again from 1862 until circa 1894.

References

References

1. "Monthly Discharge Data for WHITEMUD RIVER AT WESTBOURNE (05LL002) [MB]". Environment Canada.
2. "Whitemud Watershed". Whitemud Watershed Conservation District.
3. {{Cite cgndb. GBDYO. Whitemud River
4. "Geographical Names of Manitoba". Manitoba Geographical Names Program.
5. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - PFRA 2004. Summary of Resources and Land Use Issues Related to Riparian Areas in the Whitemud River Watershed.
6. Archived data from Water Survey Canada
7. "Hudson's Bay Company: Big Point House". Archives of Manitoba - Keystone Archives Descriptive Database.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::