Fraser River
The Fraser River, from above Hatzic near Mission, British Columbia, looking upstream (E). Mission is a Canadian district municipality, in the province of British Columbia and is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the Mission is a Canadian district municipality, in the province of British Columbia and is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Length	1,375 km (854 mi) [1]
Watershed	220,000 km² (84,942 sq mi)
Source	Continental Divide
- location	Rocky Mountains, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
- coordinates	52°31.1′N 118°19.0′W / 52.5183, -118.3167
Mouth	Fraser River Delta
- location	Strait of Georgia, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- coordinates	49°7′N 123°11.5′W / 49.117, -123.1917
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Major tributaries
- left	Willow River, Quesnel River, Thompson River, Williams Lake River, Coquihalla River, Vedder River
- right	McGregor River, Nechako River, West Road River, Chilcotin River, Bridge River, Harrison River, Stave River
Fraser River watershed

For other uses of this name see Fraser River (disambiguation). Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. Mount Robson Provincial Park is a large provincial park in the Canadian Rockies with an area of 2249 km² British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait (also known as the Gulf of Georgia) is a Strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Metro Vancouver, legally the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is the inter-municipal body or regional district, charged with certain aspects Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The Quesnel River is a major tributary of the Fraser River in the Cariboo District of central British Columbia. The Thompson River is the largest Tributary of the Fraser River The Coquihalla River (ˌkoʊkwɪˈhælə is located in the Cascade Mountains near the town of Hope British Columbia. The Vedder River, called the Chilliwack River above Vedder Crossing, is a River in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the The Nechako River (nəˈtʃækoʊ arises on the Nechako plateau east of the Coast Range of British Columbia and flows north toward Fort Fraser West Road River or Blackwater River is a major Tributary of the Fraser River, flowing generally north-eastward from the Ilgachuz Range and across The Chilcotin River is a River, long in Canada. It is a Tributary of the Fraser River, which it joins west of the city of Williams Lake The Bridge River is or was a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet The Harrison River is a short but large tributary of the Fraser River, entering it near the community of Chehalis, British Columbia. The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it about 35 km east of Vancouver British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley

The Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia, Canada, rising near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 1,400 km (870 mi), into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Vancouver. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Mount Robson is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Robson is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The estuary at the river's mouth is a site of hemispheric importance in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network is a conservation strategy targeting Shorebirds in the Americas launched in 1985 ^[2]

Geography

The Fraser drains a 220,000 km² (85,000 sq mi) area. Its headwaters are near Yellowhead Pass, and for the first part of its course it runs northwest, reaching past 54° north before making a sharp turn to the south. Yellowhead Pass (el 1110 m is a Mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies. At the city of Prince George it is joined by the Nechako River, then continues south and slightly east. Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia The Nechako River (nəˈtʃækoʊ arises on the Nechako plateau east of the Coast Range of British Columbia and flows north toward Fort Fraser It is joined by the Thompson River at Lytton, where it proceeds south until it is approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of the 49th parallel, which is Canada's border with the United States. The Thompson River is the largest Tributary of the Fraser River Lytton in British Columbia sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser at coordinates The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It then issues from the Coast Mountains from a deep canyon (the Fraser Canyon) about 270 km (170 mi) long. The Coast Mountains are a Mountain range of the Pacific Cordillera, running along the north western shore of the North American continent extending south fountaincanyon10jpg|thumb|400px|right|View of Fraser Canyon looking upstream from Fountain British Columbia The river then turns west through a lush lowland valley, known as the Fraser Valley, past Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission and the eastern and southern suburbs of Vancouver. Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. Abbotsford ( is a Canadian city in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, adjacent to Metro Vancouver. Mission is a Canadian district municipality, in the province of British Columbia and is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal

After 100 kilometres (about 60 mi), it forms a delta where it empties into the Strait of Georgia between the mainland and Vancouver Island. A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait (also known as the Gulf of Georgia) is a Strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British The lands south of the City of Vancouver, including the cities of Richmond and Delta sit on the flat flood plain. Richmond (ˈrɪtʃmənd}} is an incorporated city on the Pacific coast of the Canadian province of British Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. ||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a Stream or River that experiences occasional or periodic The islands of the delta include Iona Island, Sea Island, Lulu Island, Annacis Island, and a number of smaller islands. Iona Island in Richmond British Columbia, Canada was formerly an island but is now a peninsula physically connected to Sea Island via a road called Iona Sea Island is located in the city of Richmond British Columbia, directly across the river from Vancouver and fifteen kilometres from Vancouver's downtown core Lulu Island is the geographic name of the island making up most of the City of Richmond, a major suburb of Vancouver British Columbia. Annacis Island is an island located in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. While the vast majority of the river's drainage basin lies within British Columbia, a small portion in the delta area lies across the international border in Washington in the United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

The river's volume at its mouth is 112 km³ (27 cu mi) each year (about 800,000 gal/s or 3550 cubic metres per second), and it dumps 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean. Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824 ^[3] It is the tenth longest river in Canada. ^[4]

History

On June 14, 1792, the Spanish explorers Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdes entered and anchored in the north arm of the Fraser River, becoming the first Europeans to find and enter it. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Dionisio Alcalá Galiano ( October 8, 1760 &ndash October 21, 1805) was a Spanish naval officer cartographer and explorer ^[5] The existence of the river, but not its location, had been deduced during the 1791 voyage of Juan Carrasco, under Francisco de Eliza. Juan Carrasco was a Spanish naval officer Explorer, and Navigator. Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759 &ndash February 19, 1825) was a Spanish naval officer Navigator, and Explorer.

The upper reaches of the Fraser River were first explored by Sir Alexander Mackenzie in 1793, and fully traced by Simon Fraser in 1807, who confirmed that it was not connected with the Columbia River. Sir Alexander Mackenzie (Alasdair MacCoinnich 1764 - March 12, 1820) was a Scottish-Canadian explorer. Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Simon Fraser ( 20 May 1776 – 18 August 1862) was a Fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Columbia River (known as

Much of British Columbia's history has been bound to the Fraser, partly because it was the essential route between the Interior and the Lower Coast after the loss of the lands south of the 49th Parallel with the Oregon Treaty of 1846. The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham ^[6] It was the site of its first recorded settlements of Aboriginal people (see Stó:lō, St'at'imc and Nlaka'pamux), the route of multitudes of prospectors during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush and the main vehicle of the province's early commerce and industry. The St'át'imc (also Lillooet, Stl'atl'imx, Stl'atl'imc, Sƛ’aƛ’imxǝc, St'át'imc, Stlatliumh) are an Interior The Nlaka'pamux (nɬeʔképmx commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush) occurred in 1858 after Gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia

This river has been designated a Canadian Heritage River for its natural and human heritage. The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS was established in 1984 by the federal provincial and territorial governments to conserve and protect the best examples of Canada ^[1]

Uses

The Fraser River at New Westminster (L) and Surrey (R). Surrey is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia that lies within the Metro Vancouver Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam in background

The Fraser is heavily exploited by human activities, especially in its lower reaches. Coquitlam (koʊˈkwɪtləm is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Its banks are rich farmland, its water is used by pulp mills, and a few dams on some tributaries provide hydroelectric power. A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber source into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a Paper mill for further Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water The main flow of the Fraser has never been dammed so as not to interfere with salmon spawning. Today, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority is named after the river. Fraser Herald of Arms ( Héraut Fraser in French) is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa The Canadian Heraldic Authority (Autorité héraldique du Canada is part of the Canadian honours system under the Governor General of Canada. In 1858, the Fraser River and surrounding areas were occupied when the gold rush came to the Fraser Canyon and the Fraser River.

The delta of the river, especially in the Boundary Bay area, is an important stopover location for migrating shorebirds^[7]

Flooding

The first disastrous flood in the Fraser Valley occurred in 1894. A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river Boundary Bay is situated on the Pacific coast of North America on the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability Waders, called shorebirds in North America (where "wader" is used to refer to long-legged wading Birds such as Storks and With no protection against the rising waters of the Fraser River, Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley were inundated with water.

After the 1894 flood, a dyking system was constructed throughout the Fraser Valley. The dyking and drainage projects greatly improved the flood problems, but unfortunately over time, the dykes were allowed to fall into disrepair and became overgrown with brush and trees. With some dykes constructed of a wooden frame, they gave way in 1948 in several locations, marking the second disastorous flood.

1894, June, the Fraser River flooded Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley. The high water mark at Mission reached 25. 75’.

Breaching of the dyke at the Hatzic Pump House near Mission, British Columbia June 3, 1948

1948 saw massive flooding in Chilliwack and other areas along the Fraser River. Mission is a Canadian district municipality, in the province of British Columbia and is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the The high water mark at Mission rose to 24. 7’.

Timeline of 1948 flood

• Throughout the May 24 long weekend, the waters of the Fraser were rising steadily, but only a few thought any real danger lay ahead.
• On May 28, 1948, the Semiault Creek Dyke broke.
• On May 29, 1948, dykes near Glendale (now Cottonwood Corners) gave way and in four days, 12,000 acres of fertile ground were under water.
• On June 1, 1948, the Cannor Dyke (east of Vedder Canal near Trans Canada Highway) broke and released tons of Fraser River water onto the Greendale area, destroying homes and fields.
• In June 3, 1948, the steamer Gladys supplied flood-stricken Chilliwack with tents and provisions as well as moving people and stock onto high ground.

Reasons for the flood of 1948

Cool temperatures during March, April and early May had delayed the melting of the heavy snowpack that had accumulated over the winter season. Several days of hot weather and warm rains over the holiday weekend in late May hastened the thawing of the snowpack. Rivers and streams quickly swelled with spring runoff, reaching heights surpassed only in 1894.

At the height of the 1948 flood, 50,000 acres stood under water. Dykes broke at Agassiz, Chiliwack, Nicomen Island, Glen Valley and Matsqui. By the time the flood waters receded a month later, 16,000 people had been evacuated, damages totaled $20 million.

Due to record snowpacks on the mountains in the Fraser River catch basin which began melting, combined with heavy rainfall, water levels on the Fraser River rose in 2007 to a level not reached since 1972. ^[8] Low-lying land in areas upriver such as Prince George suffered minor flooding. Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia Evacuation alerts were given for the low-lying areas not protected by dikes in the Lower Mainland. LeveeEmbankmentDitch A dike (or dyke) levee, levée, embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ^[9] However, the water levels did not breach the dikes, and major flooding was averted.

Fraser River in the Glen Fraser area, ~25km upstream of Lillooet

Fraser River at the Upper Fountain Rapids, at Fountain, 15km upstream from Lillooet

Tributaries

• Coquitlam River
• Pitt River
• Stave River
• Vedder River
• Harrison River
• Coquihalla River
• Anderson River
• Nahatlatch River
• Thompson River
• Bridge River
• Chilcotin River
• West Road River
• Quesnel River
• Nechako River
• Salmon River
• Willow River
• McGregor River
• Milk River
• Rausch River

See also

• List of crossings of the Fraser River
• Fraser Canyon

References

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://chilliwack.museum.bc.ca/P676-Atchelitz-flood.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chilliwack.museum.bc.ca/CuriousCornerPage.html&h=206&w=300&sz=9&hl=en&start=2&sig2=jcSUI2OnYc87rXzd88CCnw&um=1&tbnid=1-yYpB2iyrCZWM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=116&ei=gY4cSOLFFJWwgQOY_a24Cw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfraser%2Briver%2Bflood%2Band%2Barchives%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

External links

• Map and photographs