Adams River (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
The Adams River is a tributary of the Fraser River
in British Columbia
, Canada
. Beginning in the Monashee Mountains
to the north, the Upper Adams River flows mainly southward and eventually reaches Adams Lake
. The Lower Adams River begins at the southern end of the lake and flows into the extreme western end of Shuswap Lake
. The river is one of the most important sockeye salmon
breeding areas in the North America. The run occurs in mid-October and can bring millions of fish to a concentrated area near the river mouth. Excavations of Secwepemc
villages on the river have shown a long tradition of salmon fishing in the area. The river also served as an important transportation route for early logging
operations in the watershed.
. The upper portion of the river flows roughly south and southwest through wetlands and passes through two small lakes, Tumtum
and Mica. It has sections of rapids and whitewater, and flows over cataracts below Tumtum Lake. Its flow drops by 5 metres (16.4 ft) per kilometre in certain sections. After traveling for 94 kilometres (58.4 mi) and entering the Shuswap Highland
, it enters the northern end of Adams Lake.
Adams Lake is roughly 72 kilometres (44.7 mi) along its north-south axis, and reaches a maximum depth of 457 metres (1,499.3 ft), making it the 24th deepest lake in the world. The Lower Adams issues from the extreme southern end of the lake and travels 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) through a narrow valley. It empties into Shuswap Lake near the community of Squilax. From Adams Lake to the Shuswap, the Lower Adams drops 60 metres (196.9 ft) in elevation.
The Lower Adams is fed by:
people have lived in the Adams River valley for millennia. A 1977 study by the provincial government along the lower river found sixty-six sites with evidence of habitation dating to 2000 BCE. The abundance of the salmon run made the river an important food source for First Nations people in the region.
Ethnographer James Teit
records that the people of the Adams River area formed a sub-group of the Secwepemc called the "Sxste'lln", now known as the Adams Lake Indian Band
. The Sxste'lln moved between summer and winter camps at the outlet of the lower river and the Little River area near Chase. The river's namesake, Chief Sel-howt-ken (baptized as Adam by Oblate
missionaries) was a Sxste'lln leader in the 1860s. Like more than 200 of his people, he died in the 1862 smallpox epidemic.
, established the Adams River Lumber Company in 1909. He licensed large tracts of timber along both the Upper and Lower rivers, as well as the surrounding plateau. McGoldrick's company is described as the first major industrial operation in the British Columbia Interior.
A camp was built on the Upper river and logging operations began at Tumtum Lake. The cut logs were run down the river, then towed in booms
by the company owned sternwheeler Helen down Adams Lake. The logs then were run down the Lower river to the mill at Chase
. In 1908, Adams River Logging constructed a "splash dam" at the outlet of the Lower Adams. This dam allowed operators to raise the water level of Adams Lake. When sufficient logs had been collected above the dam, the gates were opened and the resulting flood carried the logs to Shuswap Lake. This proved to be destructive to the salmon run as it damaged the gravel beds the fish use to spawn.
In order to move logs from the plateau above the Lower river, Adams River Lumber constructed several flumes
. The flumes were elevated wooden troughs filled with water that floated logs down to the valley bottom. The largest of these was at Bear Creek. It incorporated trestles up to 25 metres (82 ft) high and was capable of moving 3000000 metres (9,842,519.7 ft) of logs per month. It was the largest flume in North America at its peak. The structures were dismantled after the areas became logged out.
Although logging continues in the region, the Adams is no longer used for log transport.
, likely isolated by the last Ice Age. The floodplain of the Upper Adams contains wetland species of deciduous trees such as black cottonwood as well as a dense layer of shrubs including black twinberry, red-osier dogwood, and thimbleberry
. The Lower river is dominated by the drier Interior Douglas Fir vegetation zone. Other conifer species present are Ponderosa pine
, Englemann spruce, and alpine fir
. The area around the river mouth has been altered by human activities such as farming and livestock grazing.
, then into the Fraser River
, and enter the Pacific. From the Strait of Georgia
, they spend three years in the open ocean following Arctic currents to Alaska and the Aleutian islands. They then retrace their route to the Adams, completing a round trip of over 4000 kilometres (2,485.5 mi). They complete the arduous trip upstream, including navigating the swift waters and rapids of the Fraser Canyon
, in just seventeen days. They do not eat during this period; instead they rely on fat reserves stored up from heavy feeding in the Strait of Georgia in the late summer. It is at this point that the salmon take on their distinctive red hue, with the male fish also developing large humped backs and aggressive hooked mouths. How they are able navigate back to their natal
river is not fully understood, but a highly developed olfactory system is believed to play a part.
The alluvial gravel deposits that form the Adams river bottom are ideal for the development of salmon roe
and alevins. The temperature and neutral Ph of the water is also well-suited to the sockeye. Shuswap Lake, below the river, is called a "nursery lake" by biologists due to its high concentration of picoplankton
, a food source for young salmon.
biologist John Reynolds said “[predicting salmon numbers] is massively complex, even for a scientist.”
, with smaller herds of white-tail deer. Black bears
are common in the watershed. The bear population grows substantially during the fall as they gather from adjacent valleys to feed on the spawning salmon. In the upper river valley, moose
are common, and the headwaters of the river contain grizzly bear
habitat. Several species of aquatic mammals are found on the river, including beaver
, mink
, and river otter.
The river's mouth has populations of Canada geese and swan
s. Other waterfowl include mallards, green-winged teal
, and goldeneye
. The river supports Bald eagle
and osprey
populations, whose eyries can bee seen high up in black cottonwood and dead conifers. Grouse
, especially ruffed grouse
, are numerous throughout the valley.
and the 1,076 hectare Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park
, which provides trails and platforms for salmon viewing. Human visitors to Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park were estimated at 160,000 in 2010. Haig-Brown
was a Canadian conservationist, writer and a member of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission.
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
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...
. Beginning in the Monashee Mountains
Monashee Mountains
The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range mostly in British Columbia, Canada, extending into the U.S. state of Washington. They stretch from north to south and from east to west. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains...
to the north, the Upper Adams River flows mainly southward and eventually reaches Adams Lake
Adams Lake
Adams Lake is a large, deep, coldwater lake. The southern end of the lake is approximately north of the town of Chase in the Shuswap Country region of British Columbia, Canada. The lake's upper reaches lie in the northern Monashee Mountains, while its lower end penetrates the Shuswap...
. The Lower Adams River begins at the southern end of the lake and flows into the extreme western end of Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...
. The river is one of the most important sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...
breeding areas in the North America. The run occurs in mid-October and can bring millions of fish to a concentrated area near the river mouth. Excavations of Secwepemc
Secwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
villages on the river have shown a long tradition of salmon fishing in the area. The river also served as an important transportation route for early logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
operations in the watershed.
Course
The headwaters of the Adams are several unnamed glaciers at roughly 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) elevation in the north-east region of the Monashee Range of the Columbia MountainsColumbia Mountains
The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges located in southeastern British Columbia, and partially in Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² . The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench on the east, and the Kootenay River on the south; their...
. The upper portion of the river flows roughly south and southwest through wetlands and passes through two small lakes, Tumtum
Tumtum Lake
Tumtum Lake is a small lake located in the Upper Adams River valley in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is a popular fishing lake, containing rainbow trout, bull trout, and whitefish. "Tumtum" is a Chinook Jargon word for "heart", or the "pulsing of the heart", and may refer to the...
and Mica. It has sections of rapids and whitewater, and flows over cataracts below Tumtum Lake. Its flow drops by 5 metres (16.4 ft) per kilometre in certain sections. After traveling for 94 kilometres (58.4 mi) and entering the Shuswap Highland
Shuswap Highland
The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area of in British Columbia, Canada. It spans the upland area between the Bonaparte and Thompson Plateaus from the area of Mahood Lake, at the southeast corner of the Cariboo Plateau, southeast towards the lower Shuswap River east of Vernon in the...
, it enters the northern end of Adams Lake.
Adams Lake is roughly 72 kilometres (44.7 mi) along its north-south axis, and reaches a maximum depth of 457 metres (1,499.3 ft), making it the 24th deepest lake in the world. The Lower Adams issues from the extreme southern end of the lake and travels 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) through a narrow valley. It empties into Shuswap Lake near the community of Squilax. From Adams Lake to the Shuswap, the Lower Adams drops 60 metres (196.9 ft) in elevation.
Tributaries
Tributaries of the Upper Adams include:- Oliver Creek
- Dudgeon Creek
- Sunset Creek
- Fisher Creek
The Lower Adams is fed by:
- Cayenne Creek
- Sinmax Creek
- Momich River
- Hiuihill (Bear) Creek
- Nikwikwaia (Gold) Creek
Secwepemc
The SecwepemcSecwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
people have lived in the Adams River valley for millennia. A 1977 study by the provincial government along the lower river found sixty-six sites with evidence of habitation dating to 2000 BCE. The abundance of the salmon run made the river an important food source for First Nations people in the region.
Ethnographer James Teit
James Teit
James Alexander Teit was an anthropologist and photographer who worked with Franz Boas to study Interior Salish First Nations peoples in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
records that the people of the Adams River area formed a sub-group of the Secwepemc called the "Sxste'lln", now known as the Adams Lake Indian Band
Adams Lake Indian Band
The Adams Lake Indian Band is a member of the Secwepemc Nation. It was created when the government of the Colony of British Columbia established an Indian Reserve system in the 1860s...
. The Sxste'lln moved between summer and winter camps at the outlet of the lower river and the Little River area near Chase. The river's namesake, Chief Sel-howt-ken (baptized as Adam by Oblate
Oblate
An oblate spheroid is a rotationally symmetric ellipsoid having a polar axis shorter than the diameter of the equatorial circle whose plane bisects it. Oblate spheroids stand in contrast to prolate spheroids....
missionaries) was a Sxste'lln leader in the 1860s. Like more than 200 of his people, he died in the 1862 smallpox epidemic.
Adams River Lumber Company
Although prospectors, surveyors, and trappers had travelled the region in the 1800s, the first large scale activity in the river valley by Europeans was logging. J.P. McGoldrick, an experienced lumberman from SpokaneSpokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
, established the Adams River Lumber Company in 1909. He licensed large tracts of timber along both the Upper and Lower rivers, as well as the surrounding plateau. McGoldrick's company is described as the first major industrial operation in the British Columbia Interior.
A camp was built on the Upper river and logging operations began at Tumtum Lake. The cut logs were run down the river, then towed in booms
Log boom
A log boom is a barrier placed in a river, designed to collect and or contain floating logs timbered from nearby forests sometimes called a fence or bag. The term is also used as a place where logs were collected into booms, as at the mouth of a river...
by the company owned sternwheeler Helen down Adams Lake. The logs then were run down the Lower river to the mill at Chase
Chase, British Columbia
Chase is a village located in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 2,500, and its main industries are forestry and tourism. It is located at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake, which is the source of the South Thompson River...
. In 1908, Adams River Logging constructed a "splash dam" at the outlet of the Lower Adams. This dam allowed operators to raise the water level of Adams Lake. When sufficient logs had been collected above the dam, the gates were opened and the resulting flood carried the logs to Shuswap Lake. This proved to be destructive to the salmon run as it damaged the gravel beds the fish use to spawn.
In order to move logs from the plateau above the Lower river, Adams River Lumber constructed several flumes
Log flume
A log flume is a flume specifically constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes...
. The flumes were elevated wooden troughs filled with water that floated logs down to the valley bottom. The largest of these was at Bear Creek. It incorporated trestles up to 25 metres (82 ft) high and was capable of moving 3000000 metres (9,842,519.7 ft) of logs per month. It was the largest flume in North America at its peak. The structures were dismantled after the areas became logged out.
Although logging continues in the region, the Adams is no longer used for log transport.
Ecology
Flora
Much of the ecology of the watershed has been effected by wildfires and forestry, and is considered to be in a seral phase. The river travels through several different vegetation zones. In its upper reaches, the Adams flows through the Interior Cedar Hemlock zone. These forests are similar to the coastal forests of British Columbia and contain old-growth trees up to 1000 years in age. Old-growth stands along the river also contain rare species of lichenLichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
, likely isolated by the last Ice Age. The floodplain of the Upper Adams contains wetland species of deciduous trees such as black cottonwood as well as a dense layer of shrubs including black twinberry, red-osier dogwood, and thimbleberry
Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus, commonly called thimbleberry or salmonberry, is a species of Rubus, native to western and northern North America, from Alaska east to Ontario and Michigan, and south to northern Mexico...
. The Lower river is dominated by the drier Interior Douglas Fir vegetation zone. Other conifer species present are Ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, Englemann spruce, and alpine fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
. The area around the river mouth has been altered by human activities such as farming and livestock grazing.
Sockeye salmon
Adams River sockeye travel from their spawning grounds to the South Thompson RiverThompson River
The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...
, then into the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
, and enter the Pacific. From the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...
, they spend three years in the open ocean following Arctic currents to Alaska and the Aleutian islands. They then retrace their route to the Adams, completing a round trip of over 4000 kilometres (2,485.5 mi). They complete the arduous trip upstream, including navigating the swift waters and rapids of the Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
, in just seventeen days. They do not eat during this period; instead they rely on fat reserves stored up from heavy feeding in the Strait of Georgia in the late summer. It is at this point that the salmon take on their distinctive red hue, with the male fish also developing large humped backs and aggressive hooked mouths. How they are able navigate back to their natal
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
river is not fully understood, but a highly developed olfactory system is believed to play a part.
The alluvial gravel deposits that form the Adams river bottom are ideal for the development of salmon roe
Roe
Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
and alevins. The temperature and neutral Ph of the water is also well-suited to the sockeye. Shuswap Lake, below the river, is called a "nursery lake" by biologists due to its high concentration of picoplankton
Picoplankton
Picoplankton is the fraction of plankton composed by cells between 0.2 and 2 μm that can be either :* photosynthetic * heterotrophic Some species can also be mixotrophic....
, a food source for young salmon.
Dominant runs
The Adams River run occurs every year, but every fourth year (called a "dominant" year), the numbers are much higher. 2010 was the most recent dominant run. According to Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Fraser River sockeye run of 2010 was the largest since 1913, numbering an estimated 34 million fish. At least 3,866,000 of these fish returned to the Adams River to spawn. There is no clear consensus as to why the Adams stock has rebounded so remarkably (1991 saw an estimated return of 718 fish). In the Globe and Mail, Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
biologist John Reynolds said “[predicting salmon numbers] is massively complex, even for a scientist.”
Other fauna
The Adams River valley supports large populations of mule deerMule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, with smaller herds of white-tail deer. Black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
are common in the watershed. The bear population grows substantially during the fall as they gather from adjacent valleys to feed on the spawning salmon. In the upper river valley, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
are common, and the headwaters of the river contain grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
habitat. Several species of aquatic mammals are found on the river, including beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, and river otter.
The river's mouth has populations of Canada geese and swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s. Other waterfowl include mallards, green-winged teal
Green-winged Teal
The Green-winged Teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Common Teal The Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of...
, and goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
. The river supports Bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
and osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
populations, whose eyries can bee seen high up in black cottonwood and dead conifers. Grouse
Grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...
, especially ruffed grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
, are numerous throughout the valley.
Protected areas
The Adams passes through the 5,733 hectare Upper Adams River Provincial ParkUpper Adams River Provincial Park
Upper Adams River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
and the 1,076 hectare Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park
Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park
Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located northeast of Kamloops and northwest of Salmon Arm. It stretches along the banks of the Adams River, between the south end of Adams Lake and the western portion of Shuswap Lake...
, which provides trails and platforms for salmon viewing. Human visitors to Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park were estimated at 160,000 in 2010. Haig-Brown
Roderick Haig-Brown
Roderick Haig-Brown was a Canadian writer and conservationist.-Early life:Born in Lancing, Sussex, England his father, Alan Haig-Brown, was a teacher and a prolific writer who published hundreds of articles and poems on sports, the military and educational issues in various periodicals...
was a Canadian conservationist, writer and a member of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission.