The Usk Ferry is a cable ferry

Cable ferry

A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....

 across the Skeena River

Skeena River

The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...

 in 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...

, 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 situated about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north-east of Terrace

Terrace, British Columbia

Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...

 at Usk

Usk, British Columbia

Usk is a hamlet in British Columbia, Canada just off Highway 16 north-east of Terrace on the north bank of the Skeena River. Once famous for berry-growing, a flood in the 1930s destroyed most of the community. A few people still live there now. Access is by the Usk Ferry, a reaction ferry, or...

.

Technically, the ferry is a reaction ferry

Reaction ferry

A reaction ferry is a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of a river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the river...

, which is propelled by the current

Current (stream)

A current, in a river or stream, is the flow of water influenced by gravity as the water moves downhill to reduce its potential energy. The current varies spatially as well as temporally within the stream, dependent upon the flow volume of water, stream gradient, and channel geometrics...

 of the water. An overhead cable

Wire rope

thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....

 is suspended from towers anchored on either bank of the river, and a "traveller" is installed on the cable. The ferry is attached to the traveller by a bridle cable. To operate the ferry, rudders are used to ensure that the pontoons are angled into the current, causing the force of the current to move the ferry across the river.

The ferry operates under contract to the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation

British Columbia Ministry of Transportation

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is the British Columbia government ministry responsible for transport infrastructure and law in the Canadian province of British Columbia...

, is free of tolls, and runs on demand between 0615 and 2345 with some gaps in service. It carries a maximum of 2 cars and 12 passengers at a time. The crossing is about 150 metres (492.1 ft) in length, and takes 5–7 minutes. At times of low water, or ice in the river, the ferry is replaced by an aerial tramway

Aerial tramway

An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...

 that carries passengers only.

See also

• Adams Lake Cable Ferry
• Arrow Park Ferry
• Barnston Island Ferry
  Barnston Island Ferry
  The Barnston Island Ferry is a ferry across Parson's Channel on the south side of the Fraser River to Barnston Island in British Columbia, Canada....
  
  
• Big Bar Ferry
  Big Bar Ferry
  Big Bar Ferry is a cable ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. It is located about north of the town of Lillooet and west of Clinton...
  
  
• Francois Lake Ferry
• Glade Cable Ferry
• Kootenay Lake Ferry
  Kootenay Lake Ferry
  The Kootenay Lake Ferry is a ferry across the Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada. It operates between Balfour, on the west side of the lake, and Kootenay Bay, on the east side. Two ferry vessels are used, the MV Osprey 2000 and the MV Balfour.The ferry operates under contract to the British...
  
  
• Harrop Ferry
• Little Fort Ferry
  Little Fort Ferry
  The Little Fort Ferry is a cable ferry across the North Thompson River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated at Little Fort, about north of Kamloops....
  
  
• McLure Ferry
  McLure Ferry
  The McLure Ferry is a cable ferry across the North Thompson River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated about north of Kamloops.Technically, the ferry is a reaction ferry, which is propelled by the current of the water. An overhead cable is suspended from towers anchored on either bank of...
  
  
• Needles Ferry
  Needles ferry
  The Needles Ferry is a cable ferry across Lower Arrow Lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated south of Nakusp and links Needles and Fauquier.-Operation:...
  
  
• Upper Arrow Lakes Ferry