A triple divide is a geographical point where water from a single location can flow into three distinct drainage basins, each leading to different bodies of water. These divides are significant in understanding continental hydrology and the distribution of watersheds.
Some of these triple divides mark the intersection of continental divides. Other triple divides mark the intersection of multiple watersheds within the boundaries of one continental divide.
Hydrological apex
When a triple divide results in water flowing to three separate oceans, it is known as a hydrological apex.
North America is the only continent with a hydrological apex that flows into three separate oceans. Triple Divide Peak located in the Rocky Mountains in Glacier National Park in Montana is a hydrological apex. At an elevation of 8,025 feet (2,446 meters) this triple divide in the Lewis Range has water that can flow from the peak into either the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, or Arctic Ocean (via the Hudson Bay).
In the southeast section of Glacier National Park, creeks and streams feed into the Birch River and Marias River. The water then flows into the Missouri River and the Mississippi River before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean.
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In the northeast section of Glacier National Park, water empties into the St. Mary River that joins the Saskatchewan River Basin. Water from this basin flows, in part, into Lake Winnipeg and then the Nelson River which drains into the Hudson Bay, a tributary of the Arctic Ocean.
Water on the western side of Glacier National Park enters the Flathead River, which then flows through Flathead Lake and on into the Clark Fork. Water then flows into the Columbia River which empties in to the Pacific Ocean.
Continental Divide
Triple Divide Peak is also is the location where the North American Continental Divide and the Northern or Laurentian Divide, two of the main continental divides in North America, converge.
Other triple divides in the United States
Beyond Triple Divide Peak, several other triple divides exist in the United States:
The Hill of Three Waters, Minnesota
This triple divide in Minnesota makes the boundary between the the Northern Divide and the St. Lawrence Seaway Divide. From this divide, water flows: north to Hudson Bay, south to the Gulf of Mexico, and east to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Triple Continental Divide, Potter County, Pennsylvania
This is the only triple divide east of the Mississippi River in the United States. The triple divide at this location feeds water into the Allegheny River, the Genesee River, and Pine Creek and divides the Eastern Continental Divide and Saint Lawrence River Divide
Triple Peak Divide, Tulare County, California
This triple divide is found at a peak in the Sierra Nevada range at an elevation of 12,640 feet (3,853 meters). The divide is at the intersection of three watersheds: the Kern River, the Kaweah River, and the Kings River.
This triple divide is the highest significant triple divide in the lower 48 states.
