Cottonwood Canyon (Fraser River)
Encyclopedia
Cottonwood Canyon is a canyon
along the Fraser River
in the North Cariboo
region of the Central Interior of British Columbia
, Canada
. It is located west of the Cariboo Mountains
on the Fraser River south of its confluence with the east-flowing West Road River
and north of its confluence with the northwest-flowing Cottonwood River just northwest of the city of Quesnel
, The first European explorer was Simon Fraser (explorer)
who ran the rapids on the first of June, 1807. One of his canoes became stranded and had to be pulled out of the canyon with a rope. It was one of the obstacles for gold rush
-era steamboats operating on the Fraser from Quesnel to Fort George and up the Nechako
and Stuart River
s to Stuart Lake
.
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
along the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
in the North Cariboo
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
region of the Central Interior of British Columbia
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located west of the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington 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...
on the Fraser River south of its confluence with the east-flowing West Road River
West Road River
The West Road River or Blackwater River is a major tributary of the Fraser River, flowing generally north-eastward from the northern slopes of the Ilgachuz Range and across the Fraser Plateau in the Chilcotin region of central British Columbia, Canada...
and north of its confluence with the northwest-flowing Cottonwood River just northwest of the city of Quesnel
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
, The first European explorer was Simon Fraser (explorer)
Simon Fraser (explorer)
Simon Fraser was a fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains...
who ran the rapids on the first of June, 1807. One of his canoes became stranded and had to be pulled out of the canyon with a rope. It was one of the obstacles for gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
-era steamboats operating on the Fraser from Quesnel to Fort George and up the Nechako
Nechako River
The Nechako River arises on the Nechako Plateau east of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and flows north toward Fort Fraser, then east to Prince George where it enters the Fraser River...
and Stuart River
Stuart River
The Stuart River is a river in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The river flows over from Stuart Lake to its junction with the Nechako River. The river drains a portion of the Nechako Plateau — a gently-rolling region characterized by small lakes and tributaries...
s to Stuart Lake
Stuart Lake
Stuart Lake, or Nak'albun in the Carrier language is a lake situated in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town of Fort St. James is situated by the lake near the outlet...
.
See also
- Cottonwood, British ColumbiaCottonwood, British ColumbiaCottonwood, including the Cottonwood Ranch and Cottonwood House, is an unincorporated settlement in the North Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
- Fort George Canyon
- Soda Creek Canyon
- Fraser CanyonFraser CanyonThe Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
- Cottonwood River Provincial ParkCottonwood River Provincial ParkCottonwood River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located northeast of the confluence of the Quesnel and Cottonwood Rivers in that province's North Cariboo region.-See also:*Cottonwood Canyon*Cottonwood, British Columbia...