Raft River (British Columbia)

Last updated
Raft River
Location
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Land DistrictKamloops Division Yale
Physical characteristics
Source Columbia Mountains
Mouth North Thompson River
  location
east of Clearwater, Thompson Country
  coordinates
51°37′55″N119°59′32″W / 51.63194°N 119.99222°W / 51.63194; -119.99222 Coordinates: 51°37′55″N119°59′32″W / 51.63194°N 119.99222°W / 51.63194; -119.99222 [1]
  elevation
400 m (1,300 ft) [2]
Length78 km (48 mi) [3]
Basin size764 km2 (295 sq mi) [4]
Discharge 
  location mouth [4]
  average15.2 m3/s (540 cu ft/s) [4]
  minimum0.283 m3/s (10.0 cu ft/s)
  maximum142 m3/s (5,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
  rightWest Raft River

The Raft River is a tributary of the North Thompson River, one of the main tributaries of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It flows through the Shuswap Highland region southeast of Wells Gray Provincial Park. Most of the Raft River's watershed lies outside the boundaries of Wells Gray, except for some of the headwaters of the West Raft River tributary.

Contents

Course

The Raft River originates in the Columbia Mountains between Wells Gray Provincial Park and the North Thompson River, south of the Blue River and southwest of the town of Blue River. It flows generally south through the Shuswap Highland to join the North Thompson River just east of Clearwater.

As the Raft River flows south it is joined by tributaries such as Richie Creek, Stratton Creek, Maxwell Creek, West Raft River, Blowhole Creek, Moilliet Creek, McCorvie Creek, and Willis Creek. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

Thompson River River in British Columbia, Canada

The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches, the South Thompson River and the North Thompson River. The river is home to several varieties of Pacific salmon and trout. The area's geological history was heavily influenced by glaciation, and the several large glacial lakes have filled the river valley over the last 12,000 years. Archaeological evidence shows human habitation in the watershed dating back at least 8,300 years. The Thompson was named by Fraser River explorer, Simon Fraser, in honour of his friend, Columbia Basin explorer David Thompson. Recreational use of the river includes whitewater rafting and angling.

Clearwater, British Columbia District municipality in British Columbia, Canada

Clearwater is a district municipality in the North Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada, where the Clearwater River empties into the North Thompson River. It is located 124 km (77 mi) north of Kamloops. The District of Clearwater was established on December 23, 2007, making it one of the newest municipalities in British Columbia. It is near Wells Gray Provincial Park and is surrounded by the Trophy Mountains, Raft Mountain and Dunn Peak.

Shuswap Lake Lake in British Columbia, Canada

Shuswap Lake is a lake located in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little Shuswap River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River. It is at the heart of a region known as the Columbia Shuswap or "the Shuswap", noted for its recreational lakeshore communities including the city of Salmon Arm. The name "Shuswap" is derived from the Shuswap or Secwepemc First Nations people, the most northern of the Interior Salish peoples, whose territory includes the Shuswap. The Shuswap call themselves /ʃǝxwépmǝx/ in their own language, which is called /ʃǝxwepmǝxtʃín/, but the ethnonym's original meaning is now lost.

Cariboo Mountains

The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is 7,700 square kilometres (3,000 sq mi) in area and about 245 km in length (southeast–northwest) and about 90 km at its widest (southwest–northeast).

Bonaparte Plateau

The Bonaparte Plateau, in British Columbia, Canada, is a sub-plateau of the Thompson Plateau which extends to the Quesnel River and lies between the Cariboo Mountains on the east and the Fraser River on the west. The Thompson Plateau is itself a sub-plateau of the larger Fraser Plateau.

Clearwater River (British Columbia)

The Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the North Thompson River, joining it at the community of Clearwater, British Columbia. The Clearwater rises from glaciers in the Cariboo Mountains and flows in a mostly southerly direction for 201 km (125 mi) to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the last 5 km (3 mi), is within Wells Gray Provincial Park. Its confluence with the North Thompson is protected by North Thompson River Provincial Park.

North Thompson River

The North Thompson River is the northern branch of the Thompson River, the largest tributary of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates at the toe of the Thompson Glacier in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains, west of the community of Valemount. The river flows generally south through the Shuswap Highland towards Kamloops where it joins the South Thompson River to form the main stem Thompson River.

South Thompson River

The South Thompson River is the southern branch of the Thompson River, the largest tributary of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake at the town of Chase and flows approximately 58 kilometres (36 mi) southwest and west through a wide valley to Kamloops where it joins the North Thompson River to form the main stem Thompson River.

Clearwater Lake (British Columbia)

Clearwater Lake is one of six large lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada,. The Clearwater River enters the lake at its north end, flowing from Hobson Lake and Azure Lake, and also drains the lake. There are several small streams that flow into Clearwater Lake, but it has no significant tributaries.

Mahood River

The Mahood River is a river in the northern Shuswap Highland of the Central Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River. The Mahood River has cut a deep canyon into Cambrian rocks and Pleistocene glacial moraines.

The Nahatlatch River is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates in the Lillooet Ranges of the Coast Mountains and empties into the Fraser River in the Fraser Canyon, north of Boston Bar.

The Blue River is a tributary of the North Thompson River in the South-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located at and being the namesake of the community of the same name, approximately midway between the city of Kamloops and the Yellowhead Pass. The river flows NE to join the North Thompson after flowing generally east from Blue Lake, which is at a low pass with the basin of Murtle Lake and the Murtle River, which join the North Thompson via the Clearwater and the community of the same farther southwest. The Blue River forms part of the boundary between the Shuswap Highland (S) and the southwesternmost Cariboo Mountains (N).

Cariboo River

The Cariboo River is a tributary of the Quesnel River, one of the main tributaries of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It flows through the Cariboo region of the British Columbia Interior, southeast of Prince George. Above Cariboo Lake it was formerly known as the Swamp River. The name was adopted, and replaced the former names, in 1936 in association with Cariboo Lake.

Adams River (British Columbia) River in Canada

The Adams River is a tributary to the Thompson and Fraser Rivers in British Columbia, Canada. Beginning in the Monashee Mountains to the north, the Upper Adams River flows mainly southward and eventually reaches Adams Lake. The Lower Adams River begins at the southern end of the lake and flows into the extreme western end of Shuswap Lake. The river is one of the most important sockeye salmon breeding areas in North America. The run occurs in mid-October and can bring millions of fish to a concentrated area near the river mouth. Excavations of Secwepemc villages on the river have shown a long tradition of habitation and salmon fishing in the area. The river also served as an important transportation route for early logging operations in the watershed.

The Seymour River is a river in the North Shuswap of British Columbia, Canada. It starts from the Monashee Mountains north of Shuswap Lake, and flows towards south into the northern end of the Seymour Arm of the lake.

Dunn Peak

Dunn Peak is a group of peaks in the central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its most prominent summit, Matterhorn Peak, rises to 2,636 metres (8,648 ft), making it the highest point in the Shuswap Highland.

Wells Gray Provincial Park

Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres. It is British Columbia's fourth largest park, after Tatshenshini, Spatsizi and Tweedsmuir.

Trophy Mountain

Trophy Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Raft River to the east and Spahats Creek to the south. Trophy Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland. There are nine summits in the group and the highest is 2,577 m (8,455 ft). Battle Mountain and Table Mountain are the closest summits to the north and Raft Mountain is immediately south. Trophy Mountain was given its name by Dan Case, a big-game hunting guide in the area.

Raft Mountain

Raft Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located north-east of Clearwater and just outside the south boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Raft River to the east, Spahats Creek to the north, and North Thompson River to the south. Raft Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland. There are five summits in the group and the highest is 2,450 m (8,038 ft). Trophy Mountain is the closest summit to the north.

The Barrière River is a tributary of the North Thompson River, one of the main tributaries of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It flows through the Shuswap Highland region north of Kamloops. Its name in Secwepemctsín is St́yelltsecwétkwe.

References

  1. "Raft River". BC Geographical Names.
  2. Elevation derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, using GeoLocator, and BCGNIS coordinates
  3. "Raft River Bank Stabilization and Instream Habitat Enhancement Project". Wildlife Habitat Council. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "Archived Hydrometric Data Search". Water Survey of Canada. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2013. Search for Station 08LB017 Raft River near Clearwater (1914–1958)
  5. Course information in part from "Raft River, Canadian 1:50K topographic maps" (map). TopoQuest.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.