Wood River (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
The Wood River is a tributary
of the Columbia River
in the Canadian province
of British Columbia
. The river's lower reach is flooded by Mica Dam
on the Columbia River
, until its inundation the river was formerly a tributary of the Canoe River
. The lower Wood River is called Wood Reach, which is connected to Canoe Reach, the flooded lower portion of the Canoe River. Both are part of the Mica Dam's reservoir, Kinbasket Lake
.
. Its headwater streams drain the western slope of the Continental Divide
. The Wood River flows generally southwest to join the Canoe and Columbia Rivers in Kinbasket Lake.
crossed the Continental Divide at Athabasca Pass
and descended the Wood River to reach the Columbia River. His party built a boat at Boat Encampment
, located near the confluences of the Wood, Canoe, and Columbia Rivers.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
in the Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of 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...
. The river's lower reach is flooded by Mica Dam
Mica Dam
The Mica Dam is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River 135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. Completed in 1973 under the terms of the 1964 Columbia River Treaty, the Mica powerhouse has a generating capacity of . The dam is operated by BC Hydro...
on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, until its inundation the river was formerly a tributary of the Canoe River
Canoe River (British Columbia)
Canoe River is a tributary of the Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada. Its lower reach is flooded by Mica Dam. The lower Canoe River is called Canoe Reach, part of the Mica Dam's reservoir, Kinbasket Lake.-Course:...
. The lower Wood River is called Wood Reach, which is connected to Canoe Reach, the flooded lower portion of the Canoe River. Both are part of the Mica Dam's reservoir, Kinbasket Lake
Kinbasket Lake
Kinbasket Lake is a reservoir on the Columbia River in southeast British Columbia, north of the city of Revelstoke and the town of Golden. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Mica Dam. The lake includes two reaches, Columbia Reach and Canoe Reach , referring to the river valleys...
.
Course
The Wood River originates in Fortress Lake in Hamber Provincial ParkHamber Provincial Park
Hamber Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the provincial border with Alberta, surrounded on three sides by Jasper National Park.-History:The park was named in honour of Eric W...
. Its headwater streams drain the western slope of the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
. The Wood River flows generally southwest to join the Canoe and Columbia Rivers in Kinbasket Lake.
History
In 1811 David ThompsonDavid Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
crossed the Continental Divide at Athabasca Pass
Athabasca Pass
Athabasca Pass is a high mountain pass in the Canadian Rockies. It is the headwaters of the Whirlpool River, a tributary of the Athabasca River.The pass lies between Mount Brown and McGillivray Ridge...
and descended the Wood River to reach the Columbia River. His party built a boat at Boat Encampment
Boat Encampment
Boat Encampment was a rendezvous and staging-point for the Hudson's Bay Company in the early 19th century and later a locality by that name in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was located at the "top" of the Big Bend of the Columbia north of the city of Revelstoke, British Columbia...
, located near the confluences of the Wood, Canoe, and Columbia Rivers.