Elk River (British Columbia)

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

Its catchment area is 4450 km ². Its average discharge is about 60 m³ / s, the maximum discharge 818 m³ / s

River

The Elk River has its origin in the Elk Lakes near the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. It flows through the Elk Valley in a south-westerly direction to the Kootenay River zuzufließen and to flow into the Koocanusa Lake, just north of the border between British Columbia and Montana.

The Elk River flows through the towns of Elkford, Sparwood, Hosmer, Fernie and Elko.

History

David Thompson traveled in 1811 along the Elk River and called him " Stag River". The river was designated on the map of Palliser from the years 1857-58 as the " Elk River" and on the map of Arrowsmith in 1862 as " Stag or Elk River."

Flow Structures

The Elko Dam was built in 1924 at the Elk River. It is located about 16 km upstream of the confluence with the Lake Koocanusa.

Fauna

The Elk River is known throughout North America for fly fishing. There is the Cutthroatforelle (Oncorhynchus clarkii ) and bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ).

Environmental aspects

In the Elk River Valley, a third of the world's coal is extracted in five large open-pit coal mines, which is used for steel production. For years, elevated concentrations of selenium, phosphate and nitrate were measured in the river and attributed to the expansion of coal mining. The selenium values ​​exceed this legally permissible health guidelines.

Teck Mining obviously working hard to reduce the selenium load.

Inflows

• Fording River
• Michel Creek
• Coal Creek
• Lizard Creek
• Wigwam River