 broadwater county is a county located in the u.s. state of montana. as of the 2010 census, the population was 5,612. its county seat is townsend. the county was named for charles arthur broadwater, a noted montana railroad, real estate, and banking magnate. ==history== thumb|"the silos" are a major broadwater county landmark the lewis and clark expedition travelled through what is now broadwater county as they traced the missouri river. gold was discovered in the big belt mountains in 1864 which brought several mining towns. in 1881 the northern pacific railway with a stop in what is now townsend. ==geography== according to the u.s. census bureau, the county has a total area of , of which  is land and  (3.7%) is water. the boundaries of the county are roughly formed by the big belt mountains to the east and north, the elkhorn mountains to the west, and the horseshoe hills to the south. broadwater county is perhaps best known as the home of canyon ferry lake, the third largest body of water in montana. the lake provides essential irrigation to local farms, and serves as a recreation destination for the region. visitors seek out canyon ferry for its excellent fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and wildlife viewing opportunities.{{cite web|last=state of montana|title
1897_establishments_in_Montana Broadwater_County,_Montana Montana_counties Montana_counties_on_the_Missouri_River Populated_places_established_in_1897