Elk River (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
The Elk River is a 220 kilometres (136.7 mi) long river
, in the southeastern Kootenay
district of the Canadian province
of British Columbia
. Its drainage basin
is 4450 square kilometres (1,718.2 sq mi) in area. Its mean discharge
is approximately 60 m³/s
, with a maximum recorded discharge of 818 m³/s.
near the Continental Divide
in the Rocky Mountains
. It flows through the Elk Valley in a southwesterly direction, joining the Kootenay River
in Lake Koocanusa
, just north of the British Columbia-Montana
border.
The Elk River runs through the communities of Elkford
, Sparwood
, Hosmer
, Fernie
, and Elko
.
traveled along the Elk River in 1811, and called it the Stag River. James Sinclair's second settlement expedition to Oregon Country
from the Red River Colony
made a difficult crossing from the Kananaskis River
valley into the Columbia-Kootenays via the Elk in 1854. The river was labeled Elk River on John Palliser
's 1857-8 map and "Stag or Elk River" on Arrowsmith's 1862 map.
dam 16 metres tall and 66 metres long, the powerhouse has two Francis turbines producing 12MW of electricity. It is located approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) upriver from the Elk's confluence with Lake Koocanusa. It is operated by BC Hydro
.
Teck Mining is working to implement selenium management strategies.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
, in the southeastern Kootenay
Kootenays
The Kootenay Region comprises the southeastern portion of British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Ktunaxa First Nation first encountered by explorer David Thompson.-Boundaries:The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay Land...
district of the Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Its drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
is 4450 square kilometres (1,718.2 sq mi) in area. Its mean discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
is approximately 60 m³/s
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
, with a maximum recorded discharge of 818 m³/s.
Course
The Elk River originates from the Elk LakesElk Lakes (British Columbia)
Upper Elk Lake and Lower Elk Lake, collectively known as the Elk Lakes, are a pair of alpine lakes in southeastern British Columbia, Canada.Upper Elk Lake is the headwaters of the Elk River...
near the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. It flows through the Elk Valley in a southwesterly direction, joining the Kootenay River
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
in Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa is a reservoir in British Columbia and Montana formed by the damming of the Kootenai River by the Libby Dam in 1975....
, just north of the British Columbia-Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
border.
The Elk River runs through the communities of Elkford
Elkford, British Columbia
Elkford is a small community in southeast British Columbia. It is nestled within the majestic Rocky Mountain range. Elkford is located 32 km North of the junction at Sparwood, on provincial Highway 43....
, Sparwood
Sparwood, British Columbia
-Newspapers:* Fernie Free Press - Weekly Paper* Elk Valley Herald - Weekly Paper* Kootenay News Advertiser - Weekly Paper* The Valley - Weekly Paper* Fernie Fix - Monthly Glossy Magazine* Black Rock News - Semimonthly-Radio stations:...
, Hosmer
Hosmer, British Columbia
Hosmer is a small town near Fernie, British Columbia, and Sparwood, British Columbia.And is situated near Mount Hosmer.Hosmer was named after Charles R...
, Fernie
Fernie, British Columbia
Fernie is a city in the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on BC Highway 3 on the eastern approaches to the Crowsnest Pass through the Rocky Mountains...
, and Elko
Elko, British Columbia
Elko is located at the junction Highway 93 and Crowsnest Highway 3, to the north of the Roosville Canadian-USA border crossing. Elko is situated in a narrow valley in the rugged Canadian Rocky Mountains, in the heart of southeast British Columbia....
.
History
David ThompsonDavid Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
traveled along the Elk River in 1811, and called it the Stag River. James Sinclair's second settlement expedition to Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
from the Red River Colony
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony was a colonization project set up by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1811 on of land granted to him by the Hudson's Bay Company under what is referred to as the Selkirk Concession. The colony along the Red River of the North was never very successful...
made a difficult crossing from the Kananaskis River
Kananaskis River
The Kananaskis River is a mountain river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Bow River, crossing the length of Kananaskis Country.The river was named by John Palliser in 1858 after a Cree.-Course:...
valley into the Columbia-Kootenays via the Elk in 1854. The river was labeled Elk River on John Palliser
John Palliser
John Palliser was an Irish-born geographer and explorer. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was the son of Colonel Wray Palliser and a brother of Major Sir William Palliser , all descendants of Dr William Palliser, Archbishop of Cashel .From 1839 to 1863, Palliser served in the Waterford Militia,...
's 1857-8 map and "Stag or Elk River" on Arrowsmith's 1862 map.
Elko Dam
Elko Dam was built by East Kootenay Power Company on the Elk River in 1924. It is a Run of the RiverRun-of-the-river hydroelectricity
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby a considerably smaller water storage called pondage or none is used to supply a power station. Run-of-the-river power plants are classified as with or without pondage...
dam 16 metres tall and 66 metres long, the powerhouse has two Francis turbines producing 12MW of electricity. It is located approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) upriver from the Elk's confluence with Lake Koocanusa. It is operated by BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
.
Fishing
The fishing in the Elk River is known to be some of the best fly-fishing in North America, with greedy, large, wild cutthroat and bull trout aplenty.Coal Mining Impacts
The Elk River Valley is home to 5 large open-pit coal mines, supplying a third of the world's steel making coal. For many years increased selenium, phosphate and nitrate levels have been linked to the continued expansion of the mining. Selenium levels continue to exceed the guidelines for human health.Teck Mining is working to implement selenium management strategies.
Tributaries
- Fording RiverFording RiverThe Fording River is a tributary of the Elk River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is part of the Columbia River basin, as the Elk River is a tributary of the Kootenay River, which is a tributary of the Columbia River.-Course:...
- Michel Creek
- Coal CreekCoal Creek (British Columbia)Coal Creek is a tributary of the Elk River. Their confluence is in the city of Fernie, British Columbia. Coal Creek passes through its namesake, Coal Creek, British Columbia, today a ghost town....
- Lizard CreekLizard Creek (Elk River)Lizard Creek is a tributary of the Elk River. Their confluence is south of the city of Fernie, British Columbia near the base of Fernie Alpine Resort. Lizard Creek drains a side valley of the Elk Valley called Cedar Valley, which is home to Island Lake Lodge....
- Wigwam RiverWigwam RiverThe Wigwam River is a tributary of the Elk River that flows through the U.S. state of Montana and the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is part of the Columbia River basin, as the Elk River is a tributary of the Kootenay River, which is a tributary of the Columbia.The Wigwam is known for...