- elevation 5,223 ft (1,592 m) Basin area 19,300 km² | - elevation 1,152 ft (351 m) | |
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- location Upstream from Gang Ranch - average 102 m/s (3,602 cu ft/s) - max 673 m/s (23,767 cu ft/s) | ||
The Chilcotin River /tʃɪlˈkoʊtɪn/ is a 241-kilometre (150 mi) long tributary of the Fraser River in southern British Columbia, Canada. It drains the Chilcotin Plateau, which lies between the Fraser River and the Coast Mountains. It starts northeast of Itcha Mountain and flows generally southeast to join the Fraser about 22 km upstream from Gang Ranch.
Contents
Map of Chilcotin River, British Columbia, Canada
CourseEdit
The Chilcotin originates at the outlet of remote Itcha Lake, in Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park. Between the outlet of Itcha Lake and its confluence with its primary tributary, the Chilko River, it is about 72 km in length, most of which the river is flowing generally southeast. Several portions of the upper and middle reaches, in particular the 12 km or so stretch starting from Itcha Lake, are very swamp-like and slow moving. Chicotin Falls, a small cascade located about 23 km below its source at the head of a small canyon, is one of the few swift spots on the Chilcotin above its confluence with the Chilko. Chilcotin Lake, a small, irregularly shaped swamp-like lake, is located about 44 km upstream from the Chilko.
The Chilko/Chilcotin confluence is unique in the sense that the Chilko is actually several times larger in volume than the Chilcotin, yet the Chilko still “joins” the Chilcotin.
Below the confluence, the Chilcotin is quite large and silty. It flows through three large canyons, Bull Canyon, Big Creek Canyon and Farwell Canyon. It is about 83 km from the Chilko confluence to the Chilcotin’s mouth. Farwell Canyon is located about 15 km above the Fraser.