Similkameen River
Encyclopedia
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...
, eventually discharging into the Okanogan River
Okanogan River
The Okanogan River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington...
near Oroville, Washington
Oroville, Washington
Oroville is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,686 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Oroville is located at ....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river is approximately 197 kilometres (122.4 mi) long, and 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 7600 square kilometres (2,934.4 sq mi) in area. The river is said to be named for an indigenous people called
Course
It starts on the east flank of Manning Park, about 10.3 km north of Allison PassAllison Pass
Allison Pass is a highway summit along the Crowsnest Highway in British Columbia, Canada. It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope and Princeton. It is located in the middle of Manning Park, at the divide between the Skagit & Similkameen River drainages, approximately ...
and flows past the towns of Princeton
Princeton, British Columbia
Princeton is a small town in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, Canada. It lies just east of the Cascade Mountains, which continue south into Washington, Oregon and California. The Tulameen and Similkameen Rivers converge here...
, Hedley
Hedley, British Columbia
Hedley is an unincorporated town in southern British Columbia, Canada, named after Robert R. Hedley, the manager of the Hall Smelter in Nelson. Hedley is located at the foot of Nickel Plate Mountain in the Similkameen. The town had a population of approximately 400 as of 2005. In the early...
, Keremeos
Keremeos, British Columbia
Keremeos is a village in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos Creek which flows down from the Upper Benchlands to the...
, and Cawston
Cawston, British Columbia
Cawston is an unincorporated small community in the south Similkameen Valley.The community was named for R.L. Cawston, a pioneer rancher and magistrate who settled in the area in the 19th century...
, closely followed by Highway 3, the Crowsnest Highway
Crowsnest Highway
The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...
. About 25 km upstream from Princeton the river drops over Similkameen Falls
Similkameen Falls
Similkameen Falls is a waterfall in British Columbia on the Similkameen River located just below the mouth of the Pasayten River and just above the mouth of Copper Creek about 25 km upstream from Princeton....
. There are numerous viewpoints of the river from the highway, the most popular being Bromley Rock, where it is possible to swim in the river from a spectacular sandy beach, although the water is very cold. It contributes 75% of the flow of the Okanogan River
Okanogan River
The Okanogan River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington...
and crosses the international border at Nighthawk, Washington
Nighthawk, Washington
Nighthawk is an unincorporated community on the Similkameen River in Okanogan County, Washington state, USA. It was named for a nearby mine. Nighthawk is a logging area along Loomis-Oroville Highway west-northwest of Oroville, Washington. Nighthawk also features a border crossing and is...
.
Flow
The USGSUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
maintains a stream gauge
Stream gauge
A stream gauge, stream gage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water surface elevation and/or volumetric discharge are generally taken and observations of biota may also be...
at river mile
River mile
In the United States, a River mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the River kilometer...
15.8, just upstream from the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District canal intake. The river's 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...
(flow) at this point averages 2283 cuft/s, with a recorded maximum of 45800 cuft/s and minimum of 65 cuft/s.
Enloe Dam
The Enloe DamEnloe Dam and Powerplant
The Enloe Dam, also known as the Similkameen Dam, and its powerplant, are located on the Similkameen River about west-northwest of Oroville, Washington. Located just above Similkameen Falls, the concrete arch-gravity dam stands about high, with a crest length of about , built between 1916 and 1923...
, completed in 1920, is located just above the river's mouth. The river, after flowing over the dam, drops over what is left of Coyote Falls.
An international river
International Joint Commission
The International Joint Commission is an independent binational organization established by the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.The Commission has responsibilities related to the following treaties and agreements:...
as part of the Columbia Basin
Columbia Basin
The Columbia Basin, the drainage basin of the Columbia River, occupies a large area–about —of the Pacific Northwest region of North America. In common usage, the term often refers to a smaller area, generally the portion of the drainage basin that lies within eastern Washington.Usage of the term...
. The authority responsible for overseeing the IJC agreements is the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control, composed of appointees from Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
, the BC Ministry of Water, Land Air Protection, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Geological Survey, and private consultants.
Major tributaries
- Pasayten RiverPasayten RiverThe Pasayten River is a tributary of the Similkameen River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington.The Pasayten River is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, being a tributary of the Similkameen River, which flows into the Okanagan River, which flows...
: Confluence is just above Similkameen Falls - Tulameen RiverTulameen RiverThe Tulameen River is a tributary of the Similkameen River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Tulameen River is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, being a tributary of the Similkameen River, which flows into the Okanagan River, which flows into the Columbia River.-Course:The...
: Enters at PrincetonPrinceton, British ColumbiaPrinceton is a small town in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, Canada. It lies just east of the Cascade Mountains, which continue south into Washington, Oregon and California. The Tulameen and Similkameen Rivers converge here... - Ashnola RiverAshnola RiverThe Ashnola River is a tributary of the Similkameen River, rising in the northeastern part of the North Cascades in Washington, United States, and flowing north into British Columbia, Canada to join the Similkameen River about halfway along that river's course between the towns of Princeton and...
: Meets the river 11 km east of Keremeos