Skeena River
Encyclopedia
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia
, Canada
(after the Fraser River
). The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian
and the Gitxsan
- whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the Omineca Gold Rush
when steamboat services
ran from the sea to Hazelton
, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, vegetation and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river.
in north western British Columbia, forming a divide with the Klappan River
, a tributary of the Stikine River
. It flows for 570 km (354.2 mi) before it empties into Chatham Sound
, Telegraph Passage and Ogden Channel, east of the Dixon Entrance
, all part of the Pacific Ocean
. The Skeena drains 54400 km² (21,004 sq mi) of land with a normal annual runoff of 2,157 m3/s (76,174 cu ft/s) or 1190 mm (46.9 in).
The Skeena River originates at the southern end of Spatsizi Plateau
, in a valley between Mount Gunanoot and Mount Thule, south of the Stikine River
watershed. The abandoned track of BC Rail's Dease Lake Extension runs along the river in its upper course. It flows south-east, between the shallow peaks of the Skeena Mountains
, through the McEvoy and Jackson Flats. It continues in this direction until it passes the Slamgeesh Range, then flows westwards to Fourth Cabin, when it turns south through a shallow canyon below Poison Mountain. After Kuldo it takes an eastward turn, then flows again south below Cutoff Mountain and Mount Pope. It continues through rolling hills to the community of Kispiox
and then Hazelton
, where it receives the waters of Morice-Bulkley River
, and turns south-west. The Yellowhead Highway
and a Canadian National Railway
track follow the course of the Skeena on this section. At Kitseguecla
, the river is crossed by Highway 37, and then turns south around the Seven Sisters Peaks and Bulkley Ranges, through the Skeena Provincial Forest, then between the Nass Ranges and Borden Glacier, past the ferry crossing at Usk
, through the Kitselas Canyon
, and then through the Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
. It then flows south-west through the city of Terrace
, where the river widens. It continues westwards, followed by the Highway 16 and Canadian National Railway
line, passes near the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
, then flows into the Dixon Entrance
at Eleanor Passage, between Port Edward
and Port Essington
, facing De Horsey Island.
Partial listing from Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Upper Skeena
Middle Skeena
Lower Skeena
. The Skeena is also very important to the commercial fishing
industry. For example, numbering 5 million spawning salmon a year, the Skeena is second only to the Fraser River
in Canada in its capacity to produce sockeye salmon
. However, in the last 40 years there has been a decrease in some of the fish species, leading to strict fishing regulations for the commercial fishery however the sports fishery has dramatically increased over the years, has become increasingly commercialized with the advent of paid guide and charter boat operations, yet the sports catch is poorly monitored and may be greatly exceeding a sustainable level.
The following types of pacific salmon can be found in the Skeena:
lives in and near the Skeena Valley from Prince Rupert to Hazelton
. The region is also home to many black bears
and brown bear
s. Grizzly bears are less common in the area but the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
is located nearby.
's local headquarters were at Port Simpson, although Port Essington
was also used extensively as a port for its sternwheelers.
heralded a new era of boating on the Skeena. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon
and reached Hazelton. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing fish industry and the gold rush
.
, Canada
(after the Fraser River
). The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian
and the Gitxsan
- whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the Omineca Gold Rush
when steamboat services
ran from the sea to Hazelton
, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, vegetation and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river.
in north western British Columbia, forming a divide with the Klappan River
, a tributary of the Stikine River
. It flows for 570 km (354.2 mi) before it empties into Chatham Sound
, Telegraph Passage and Ogden Channel, east of the Dixon Entrance
, all part of the Pacific Ocean
. The Skeena drains 54400 km² (21,004 sq mi) of land with a normal annual runoff of 2,157 m3/s (76,174 cu ft/s) or 1190 mm (46.9 in).
The Skeena River originates at the southern end of Spatsizi Plateau
, in a valley between Mount Gunanoot and Mount Thule, south of the Stikine River
watershed. The abandoned track of BC Rail's Dease Lake Extension runs along the river in its upper course. It flows south-east, between the shallow peaks of the Skeena Mountains
, through the McEvoy and Jackson Flats. It continues in this direction until it passes the Slamgeesh Range, then flows westwards to Fourth Cabin, when it turns south through a shallow canyon below Poison Mountain. After Kuldo it takes an eastward turn, then flows again south below Cutoff Mountain and Mount Pope. It continues through rolling hills to the community of Kispiox
and then Hazelton
, where it receives the waters of Morice-Bulkley River
, and turns south-west. The Yellowhead Highway
and a Canadian National Railway
track follow the course of the Skeena on this section. At Kitseguecla
, the river is crossed by Highway 37, and then turns south around the Seven Sisters Peaks and Bulkley Ranges, through the Skeena Provincial Forest, then between the Nass Ranges and Borden Glacier, past the ferry crossing at Usk
, through the Kitselas Canyon
, and then through the Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
. It then flows south-west through the city of Terrace
, where the river widens. It continues westwards, followed by the Highway 16 and Canadian National Railway
line, passes near the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
, then flows into the Dixon Entrance
at Eleanor Passage, between Port Edward
and Port Essington
, facing De Horsey Island.
Partial listing from Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Upper Skeena
Middle Skeena
Lower Skeena
. The Skeena is also very important to the commercial fishing
industry. For example, numbering 5 million spawning salmon a year, the Skeena is second only to the Fraser River
in Canada in its capacity to produce sockeye salmon
. However, in the last 40 years there has been a decrease in some of the fish species, leading to strict fishing regulations for the commercial fishery however the sports fishery has dramatically increased over the years, has become increasingly commercialized with the advent of paid guide and charter boat operations, yet the sports catch is poorly monitored and may be greatly exceeding a sustainable level.
The following types of pacific salmon can be found in the Skeena:
lives in and near the Skeena Valley from Prince Rupert to Hazelton
. The region is also home to many black bears
and brown bear
s. Grizzly bears are less common in the area but the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
is located nearby.
's local headquarters were at Port Simpson, although Port Essington
was also used extensively as a port for its sternwheelers.
heralded a new era of boating on the Skeena. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon
and reached Hazelton. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing fish industry and the gold rush
.
, Canada
(after the Fraser River
). The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian
and the Gitxsan
- whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the Omineca Gold Rush
when steamboat services
ran from the sea to Hazelton
, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, vegetation and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river.
in north western British Columbia, forming a divide with the Klappan River
, a tributary of the Stikine River
. It flows for 570 km (354.2 mi) before it empties into Chatham Sound
, Telegraph Passage and Ogden Channel, east of the Dixon Entrance
, all part of the Pacific Ocean
. The Skeena drains 54400 km² (21,004 sq mi) of land with a normal annual runoff of 2,157 m3/s (76,174 cu ft/s) or 1190 mm (46.9 in).
The Skeena River originates at the southern end of Spatsizi Plateau
, in a valley between Mount Gunanoot and Mount Thule, south of the Stikine River
watershed. The abandoned track of BC Rail's Dease Lake Extension runs along the river in its upper course. It flows south-east, between the shallow peaks of the Skeena Mountains
, through the McEvoy and Jackson Flats. It continues in this direction until it passes the Slamgeesh Range, then flows westwards to Fourth Cabin, when it turns south through a shallow canyon below Poison Mountain. After Kuldo it takes an eastward turn, then flows again south below Cutoff Mountain and Mount Pope. It continues through rolling hills to the community of Kispiox
and then Hazelton
, where it receives the waters of Morice-Bulkley River
, and turns south-west. The Yellowhead Highway
and a Canadian National Railway
track follow the course of the Skeena on this section. At Kitseguecla
, the river is crossed by Highway 37, and then turns south around the Seven Sisters Peaks and Bulkley Ranges, through the Skeena Provincial Forest, then between the Nass Ranges and Borden Glacier, past the ferry crossing at Usk
, through the Kitselas Canyon
, and then through the Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
. It then flows south-west through the city of Terrace
, where the river widens. It continues westwards, followed by the Highway 16 and Canadian National Railway
line, passes near the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
, then flows into the Dixon Entrance
at Eleanor Passage, between Port Edward
and Port Essington
, facing De Horsey Island.
Partial listing from Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Upper Skeena
Middle Skeena
Lower Skeena
. The Skeena is also very important to the commercial fishing
industry. For example, numbering 5 million spawning salmon a year, the Skeena is second only to the Fraser River
in Canada in its capacity to produce sockeye salmon
. However, in the last 40 years there has been a decrease in some of the fish species, leading to strict fishing regulations for the commercial fishery however the sports fishery has dramatically increased over the years, has become increasingly commercialized with the advent of paid guide and charter boat operations, yet the sports catch is poorly monitored and may be greatly exceeding a sustainable level.
The following types of pacific salmon can be found in the Skeena:
lives in and near the Skeena Valley from Prince Rupert to Hazelton
. The region is also home to many black bears
and brown bear
s. Grizzly bears are less common in the area but the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
is located nearby.
's local headquarters were at Port Simpson, although Port Essington
was also used extensively as a port for its sternwheelers.
heralded a new era of boating on the Skeena. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon
and reached Hazelton. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing fish industry and the gold rush
.
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...
(after 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...
). The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
and the Gitxsan
Gitxsan
Gitxsan are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English...
- whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the Omineca Gold Rush
Omineca Gold Rush
The Omineca Gold Rush was a gold rush in British Columbia, Canada in the Omineca region of the Northern Interior of the province. Gold was first discovered there in 1861, but the rush didn't begin until late in 1869 with the discovery at Vital Creek....
when steamboat services
Steamboats of the Skeena River
The Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as in a day and can fluctuate as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia...
ran from the sea to Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, vegetation and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river.
Geography
The Skeena originates south of the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial ParkSpatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, protecting most of the Spatsizi Plateau, the southeasternmost subplateau of the Stikine Plateau, and the upper reaches of the basin of the Stikine River.-History:...
in north western British Columbia, forming a divide with the Klappan River
Klappan River
The Klappan River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It flows north from an area known as the Sacred Headwaters, which is the source not only of this river but also of the Nass, Skeena, Spatsizi and Stikine Rivers...
, a tributary of the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
. It flows for 570 km (354.2 mi) before it empties into Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound is a sound on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Stephens Islands and the Tsimpsean Peninsula near Prince Rupert, It was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver for John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, whose brother William Pitt, was later to become...
, Telegraph Passage and Ogden Channel, east of the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
, all part of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Skeena drains 54400 km² (21,004 sq mi) of land with a normal annual runoff of 2,157 m3/s (76,174 cu ft/s) or 1190 mm (46.9 in).
Course
Spatsizi Plateau
The Spatsizi Plateau is a plateau in the upper basin of the Stikine River in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Most of the plateau, which is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau, is enshrined in either Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park or Spatsizi Headwaters Provincial Park...
, in a valley between Mount Gunanoot and Mount Thule, south of the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
watershed. The abandoned track of BC Rail's Dease Lake Extension runs along the river in its upper course. It flows south-east, between the shallow peaks of the Skeena Mountains
Skeena Mountains
The Skeena Mountains, also known as the Skeenas, are a subrange of the Interior Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada, essentially flanking the upper basin of the Skeena River. They lie just inland from the southern end of the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, and also of the...
, through the McEvoy and Jackson Flats. It continues in this direction until it passes the Slamgeesh Range, then flows westwards to Fourth Cabin, when it turns south through a shallow canyon below Poison Mountain. After Kuldo it takes an eastward turn, then flows again south below Cutoff Mountain and Mount Pope. It continues through rolling hills to the community of Kispiox
Kispiox, British Columbia
Kispiox is a Gitxsan village of approximately 550 in the Kispiox Valley, at the confluence of the Kispiox and Skeena Rivers in British Columbia...
and then Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, where it receives the waters of Morice-Bulkley River
Bulkley River
The Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
, and turns south-west. The Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
and a Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
track follow the course of the Skeena on this section. At Kitseguecla
Kitseguecla, British Columbia
Gitsegukla is a Gitxsan community of about 500 at the confluence of the Gitsegukla and Skeena Rivers, approximately 40 km southwest of Hazelton, British Columbia.-History:...
, the river is crossed by Highway 37, and then turns south around the Seven Sisters Peaks and Bulkley Ranges, through the Skeena Provincial Forest, then between the Nass Ranges and Borden Glacier, past the ferry crossing at Usk
Usk, British Columbia
Usk is a hamlet in British Columbia, Canada just off Highway 16 north-east of Terrace on the north bank of the Skeena River. Once famous for berry-growing, a flood in the 1930s destroyed most of the community. A few people still live there now. Access is by the Usk Ferry, a reaction ferry, or...
, through the Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
, and then through the Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
Kleanza Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Kleanza Creek is a tributary of the Skeena River....
. It then flows south-west through the city of Terrace
Terrace, British Columbia
Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
, where the river widens. It continues westwards, followed by the Highway 16 and Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
line, passes near the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
, then flows into the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
at Eleanor Passage, between Port Edward
Port Edward, British Columbia
The District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
and Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
, facing De Horsey Island.
Tributaries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
Upper Skeena
- Bear River, Johanson Creek, Shilahou Creek, Slamgeesh River, Sustut RiverSustut RiverThe Sustut River is a major tributary of the Skeena River in the north-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It forms the northwest boundary of the Hogem Ranges and flows southwest to meet the Skeena, north of Hazelton...
Middle Skeena
- Babine RiverBabine RiverBabine River is a river in central British Columbia, Canada. It drains Babine Lake and is a tributary of the Skeena River, and is about 60 mi long....
, Boucher Creek, Buck Creek, Bulkley RiverBulkley RiverThe Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
, Comeau Creek, Cullon Creek, Date Creek, Deep Canoe Creek, Fulton River, Harold Price Creek, Kispiox River, Kitseguecla River, Maxan Creek, McCully Creek, McQueen Creek, Morice RiverMorice RiverThe Morice River is the outflow of Morice Lake south west of Houston, British Columbia, Canada. Morice Lake and Morice River are named after Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice The Morice River is a small river when it leaves Morice Lake but it converges with the Thautil and Gosnell Rivers...
, Nangeese River, Nanika River, Nilkitkwa RiverNilkitkwa RiverThe Nilkitkwa River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows south into the Babine River north of Nilkitkwa Lake....
, Pinkut Creek, Richfield Creek, Shegunia River, Simpson Creek, Stephens Creek, Suskwa River, Sweetin River, Toboggan Creek
Lower Skeena
- Alwyn Creek, Big Falls Creek, Cedar Creek, Coldwater Creek, Copper River, Deep Creek, Dog Tag Creek, Ecstall River, Erlandsen Creek, Exchamsiks RiverExchamsiks River Provincial ParkExchamsiks River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
, Exstew River, Fiddler Creek, Gitnadoix River, Goat Creek, Johnston Creek, Johnston Lake, Kaeen Creek, Kasiks River, Khyex River, Kitsumkalum River, Kitwanga RiverKitwanga RiverThe Kitwanga River is a tributary of the Skeena River near Hazelton in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, joining that stream at the community of Kitwanga , which means "people of the place of rabbits"....
, Kleanza CreekKleanza Creek Provincial ParkKleanza Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Kleanza Creek is a tributary of the Skeena River....
, Lakelse River, Lean-To Creek, Limonite Creek, Magar Creek, Moonlit Creek, Salmon Run Creek, Sockeye Creek, Spring Creek, Star Creek, Thomas Creek, Trapline Creek, White Creek, Williams Creek, Zymagotitz River, Zymoetz RiverZymoetz RiverThe Zymoetz River is a tributary of the Skeena River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Zymoetz River originates in the Coast Mountains and flows generally south and west to join the Skeena River just east of Terrace, British Columbia....
Wildlife
The Skeena supports a wide variety of fish and wildlife. The British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, through BC Parks, has designated a number of Ecological Reserves along the course of the river.Fish
The Skeena is well-known for its sport fishing, most notably salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. The Skeena is also very important to the commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
industry. For example, numbering 5 million spawning salmon a year, the Skeena is second only to 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...
in Canada in its capacity to produce 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...
. However, in the last 40 years there has been a decrease in some of the fish species, leading to strict fishing regulations for the commercial fishery however the sports fishery has dramatically increased over the years, has become increasingly commercialized with the advent of paid guide and charter boat operations, yet the sports catch is poorly monitored and may be greatly exceeding a sustainable level.
The following types of pacific salmon can be found in the Skeena:
- Chinook salmonChinook salmonThe Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, sometimes known as King, Tyee, Spring, Quinnat, Tule, or Blackmouth salmon. - Chum salmonChum salmonThe chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon, and may also be known as dog salmon or Keta salmon, and is often marketed under the name Silverbrite salmon...
, sometimes known as Dog or Calico salmon. - Coho salmonCoho salmonThe Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
, sometimes known as Silver salmon. - Pink salmonPink salmonPink salmon or humpback salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon.- Appearance :...
, sometimes known as Humpback salmon. - Sockeye salmonSockeye salmonSockeye 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...
, sometimes known as Red salmon or Blueback salmon. - Steelhead (see Steelhead#Taxonomy regarding confusion on its classification)
Bears
The rare Kermode bearKermode bear
The Kermode bear , also known as a "spirit bear" , is a subspecies of the American Black Bear living in the central and north coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is noted for about 1/10 of their population having white or cream-coloured coats...
lives in and near the Skeena Valley from Prince Rupert to Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
. The region is also home to many 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...
and brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s. Grizzly bears are less common in the area but the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Established August 1994, northeast of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the purpose of the park is to protect the north coast grizzly bear by preserving a part of the ecosystem in which they live.At in size,...
is located nearby.
History
Fur trading
The Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
's local headquarters were at Port Simpson, although Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
was also used extensively as a port for its sternwheelers.
Riverboats
While canoes played a crucial role on the Skeena for centuries, the age of the steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
heralded a new era of boating on the Skeena. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
and reached Hazelton. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing fish industry and the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
.
See also
- List of British Columbia rivers
- Steamboats of the Skeena RiverSteamboats of the Skeena RiverThe Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as in a day and can fluctuate as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia...
- List of ships in British Columbia
Footnotes
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British ColumbiaBritish 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...
(after 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...
). The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
and the Gitxsan
Gitxsan
Gitxsan are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English...
- whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the Omineca Gold Rush
Omineca Gold Rush
The Omineca Gold Rush was a gold rush in British Columbia, Canada in the Omineca region of the Northern Interior of the province. Gold was first discovered there in 1861, but the rush didn't begin until late in 1869 with the discovery at Vital Creek....
when steamboat services
Steamboats of the Skeena River
The Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as in a day and can fluctuate as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia...
ran from the sea to Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, vegetation and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river.
Geography
The Skeena originates south of the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial ParkSpatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, protecting most of the Spatsizi Plateau, the southeasternmost subplateau of the Stikine Plateau, and the upper reaches of the basin of the Stikine River.-History:...
in north western British Columbia, forming a divide with the Klappan River
Klappan River
The Klappan River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It flows north from an area known as the Sacred Headwaters, which is the source not only of this river but also of the Nass, Skeena, Spatsizi and Stikine Rivers...
, a tributary of the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
. It flows for 570 km (354.2 mi) before it empties into Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound is a sound on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Stephens Islands and the Tsimpsean Peninsula near Prince Rupert, It was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver for John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, whose brother William Pitt, was later to become...
, Telegraph Passage and Ogden Channel, east of the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
, all part of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Skeena drains 54400 km² (21,004 sq mi) of land with a normal annual runoff of 2,157 m3/s (76,174 cu ft/s) or 1190 mm (46.9 in).
Course
Spatsizi Plateau
The Spatsizi Plateau is a plateau in the upper basin of the Stikine River in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Most of the plateau, which is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau, is enshrined in either Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park or Spatsizi Headwaters Provincial Park...
, in a valley between Mount Gunanoot and Mount Thule, south of the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
watershed. The abandoned track of BC Rail's Dease Lake Extension runs along the river in its upper course. It flows south-east, between the shallow peaks of the Skeena Mountains
Skeena Mountains
The Skeena Mountains, also known as the Skeenas, are a subrange of the Interior Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada, essentially flanking the upper basin of the Skeena River. They lie just inland from the southern end of the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, and also of the...
, through the McEvoy and Jackson Flats. It continues in this direction until it passes the Slamgeesh Range, then flows westwards to Fourth Cabin, when it turns south through a shallow canyon below Poison Mountain. After Kuldo it takes an eastward turn, then flows again south below Cutoff Mountain and Mount Pope. It continues through rolling hills to the community of Kispiox
Kispiox, British Columbia
Kispiox is a Gitxsan village of approximately 550 in the Kispiox Valley, at the confluence of the Kispiox and Skeena Rivers in British Columbia...
and then Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, where it receives the waters of Morice-Bulkley River
Bulkley River
The Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
, and turns south-west. The Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
and a Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
track follow the course of the Skeena on this section. At Kitseguecla
Kitseguecla, British Columbia
Gitsegukla is a Gitxsan community of about 500 at the confluence of the Gitsegukla and Skeena Rivers, approximately 40 km southwest of Hazelton, British Columbia.-History:...
, the river is crossed by Highway 37, and then turns south around the Seven Sisters Peaks and Bulkley Ranges, through the Skeena Provincial Forest, then between the Nass Ranges and Borden Glacier, past the ferry crossing at Usk
Usk, British Columbia
Usk is a hamlet in British Columbia, Canada just off Highway 16 north-east of Terrace on the north bank of the Skeena River. Once famous for berry-growing, a flood in the 1930s destroyed most of the community. A few people still live there now. Access is by the Usk Ferry, a reaction ferry, or...
, through the Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
, and then through the Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
Kleanza Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Kleanza Creek is a tributary of the Skeena River....
. It then flows south-west through the city of Terrace
Terrace, British Columbia
Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
, where the river widens. It continues westwards, followed by the Highway 16 and Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
line, passes near the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
, then flows into the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
at Eleanor Passage, between Port Edward
Port Edward, British Columbia
The District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
and Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
, facing De Horsey Island.
Tributaries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
Upper Skeena
- Bear River, Johanson Creek, Shilahou Creek, Slamgeesh River, Sustut RiverSustut RiverThe Sustut River is a major tributary of the Skeena River in the north-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It forms the northwest boundary of the Hogem Ranges and flows southwest to meet the Skeena, north of Hazelton...
Middle Skeena
- Babine RiverBabine RiverBabine River is a river in central British Columbia, Canada. It drains Babine Lake and is a tributary of the Skeena River, and is about 60 mi long....
, Boucher Creek, Buck Creek, Bulkley RiverBulkley RiverThe Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
, Comeau Creek, Cullon Creek, Date Creek, Deep Canoe Creek, Fulton River, Harold Price Creek, Kispiox River, Kitseguecla River, Maxan Creek, McCully Creek, McQueen Creek, Morice RiverMorice RiverThe Morice River is the outflow of Morice Lake south west of Houston, British Columbia, Canada. Morice Lake and Morice River are named after Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice The Morice River is a small river when it leaves Morice Lake but it converges with the Thautil and Gosnell Rivers...
, Nangeese River, Nanika River, Nilkitkwa RiverNilkitkwa RiverThe Nilkitkwa River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows south into the Babine River north of Nilkitkwa Lake....
, Pinkut Creek, Richfield Creek, Shegunia River, Simpson Creek, Stephens Creek, Suskwa River, Sweetin River, Toboggan Creek
Lower Skeena
- Alwyn Creek, Big Falls Creek, Cedar Creek, Coldwater Creek, Copper River, Deep Creek, Dog Tag Creek, Ecstall River, Erlandsen Creek, Exchamsiks RiverExchamsiks River Provincial ParkExchamsiks River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
, Exstew River, Fiddler Creek, Gitnadoix River, Goat Creek, Johnston Creek, Johnston Lake, Kaeen Creek, Kasiks River, Khyex River, Kitsumkalum River, Kitwanga RiverKitwanga RiverThe Kitwanga River is a tributary of the Skeena River near Hazelton in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, joining that stream at the community of Kitwanga , which means "people of the place of rabbits"....
, Kleanza CreekKleanza Creek Provincial ParkKleanza Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Kleanza Creek is a tributary of the Skeena River....
, Lakelse River, Lean-To Creek, Limonite Creek, Magar Creek, Moonlit Creek, Salmon Run Creek, Sockeye Creek, Spring Creek, Star Creek, Thomas Creek, Trapline Creek, White Creek, Williams Creek, Zymagotitz River, Zymoetz RiverZymoetz RiverThe Zymoetz River is a tributary of the Skeena River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Zymoetz River originates in the Coast Mountains and flows generally south and west to join the Skeena River just east of Terrace, British Columbia....
Wildlife
The Skeena supports a wide variety of fish and wildlife. The British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, through BC Parks, has designated a number of Ecological Reserves along the course of the river.Fish
The Skeena is well-known for its sport fishing, most notably salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. The Skeena is also very important to the commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
industry. For example, numbering 5 million spawning salmon a year, the Skeena is second only to 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...
in Canada in its capacity to produce 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...
. However, in the last 40 years there has been a decrease in some of the fish species, leading to strict fishing regulations for the commercial fishery however the sports fishery has dramatically increased over the years, has become increasingly commercialized with the advent of paid guide and charter boat operations, yet the sports catch is poorly monitored and may be greatly exceeding a sustainable level.
The following types of pacific salmon can be found in the Skeena:
- Chinook salmonChinook salmonThe Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, sometimes known as King, Tyee, Spring, Quinnat, Tule, or Blackmouth salmon. - Chum salmonChum salmonThe chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon, and may also be known as dog salmon or Keta salmon, and is often marketed under the name Silverbrite salmon...
, sometimes known as Dog or Calico salmon. - Coho salmonCoho salmonThe Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
, sometimes known as Silver salmon. - Pink salmonPink salmonPink salmon or humpback salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon.- Appearance :...
, sometimes known as Humpback salmon. - Sockeye salmonSockeye salmonSockeye 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...
, sometimes known as Red salmon or Blueback salmon. - Steelhead (see Steelhead#Taxonomy regarding confusion on its classification)
Bears
The rare Kermode bearKermode bear
The Kermode bear , also known as a "spirit bear" , is a subspecies of the American Black Bear living in the central and north coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is noted for about 1/10 of their population having white or cream-coloured coats...
lives in and near the Skeena Valley from Prince Rupert to Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
. The region is also home to many 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...
and brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s. Grizzly bears are less common in the area but the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Established August 1994, northeast of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the purpose of the park is to protect the north coast grizzly bear by preserving a part of the ecosystem in which they live.At in size,...
is located nearby.
History
Fur trading
The Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
's local headquarters were at Port Simpson, although Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
was also used extensively as a port for its sternwheelers.
Riverboats
While canoes played a crucial role on the Skeena for centuries, the age of the steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
heralded a new era of boating on the Skeena. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
and reached Hazelton. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing fish industry and the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
.
See also
- List of British Columbia rivers
- Steamboats of the Skeena RiverSteamboats of the Skeena RiverThe Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as in a day and can fluctuate as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia...
- List of ships in British Columbia
Footnotes
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British ColumbiaBritish 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...
(after 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...
). The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
and the Gitxsan
Gitxsan
Gitxsan are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English...
- whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the Omineca Gold Rush
Omineca Gold Rush
The Omineca Gold Rush was a gold rush in British Columbia, Canada in the Omineca region of the Northern Interior of the province. Gold was first discovered there in 1861, but the rush didn't begin until late in 1869 with the discovery at Vital Creek....
when steamboat services
Steamboats of the Skeena River
The Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as in a day and can fluctuate as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia...
ran from the sea to Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, vegetation and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river.
Geography
The Skeena originates south of the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial ParkSpatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, protecting most of the Spatsizi Plateau, the southeasternmost subplateau of the Stikine Plateau, and the upper reaches of the basin of the Stikine River.-History:...
in north western British Columbia, forming a divide with the Klappan River
Klappan River
The Klappan River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It flows north from an area known as the Sacred Headwaters, which is the source not only of this river but also of the Nass, Skeena, Spatsizi and Stikine Rivers...
, a tributary of the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
. It flows for 570 km (354.2 mi) before it empties into Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound is a sound on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Stephens Islands and the Tsimpsean Peninsula near Prince Rupert, It was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver for John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, whose brother William Pitt, was later to become...
, Telegraph Passage and Ogden Channel, east of the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
, all part of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Skeena drains 54400 km² (21,004 sq mi) of land with a normal annual runoff of 2,157 m3/s (76,174 cu ft/s) or 1190 mm (46.9 in).
Course
Spatsizi Plateau
The Spatsizi Plateau is a plateau in the upper basin of the Stikine River in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Most of the plateau, which is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau, is enshrined in either Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park or Spatsizi Headwaters Provincial Park...
, in a valley between Mount Gunanoot and Mount Thule, south of the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
watershed. The abandoned track of BC Rail's Dease Lake Extension runs along the river in its upper course. It flows south-east, between the shallow peaks of the Skeena Mountains
Skeena Mountains
The Skeena Mountains, also known as the Skeenas, are a subrange of the Interior Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada, essentially flanking the upper basin of the Skeena River. They lie just inland from the southern end of the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, and also of the...
, through the McEvoy and Jackson Flats. It continues in this direction until it passes the Slamgeesh Range, then flows westwards to Fourth Cabin, when it turns south through a shallow canyon below Poison Mountain. After Kuldo it takes an eastward turn, then flows again south below Cutoff Mountain and Mount Pope. It continues through rolling hills to the community of Kispiox
Kispiox, British Columbia
Kispiox is a Gitxsan village of approximately 550 in the Kispiox Valley, at the confluence of the Kispiox and Skeena Rivers in British Columbia...
and then Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, where it receives the waters of Morice-Bulkley River
Bulkley River
The Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
, and turns south-west. The Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
and a Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
track follow the course of the Skeena on this section. At Kitseguecla
Kitseguecla, British Columbia
Gitsegukla is a Gitxsan community of about 500 at the confluence of the Gitsegukla and Skeena Rivers, approximately 40 km southwest of Hazelton, British Columbia.-History:...
, the river is crossed by Highway 37, and then turns south around the Seven Sisters Peaks and Bulkley Ranges, through the Skeena Provincial Forest, then between the Nass Ranges and Borden Glacier, past the ferry crossing at Usk
Usk, British Columbia
Usk is a hamlet in British Columbia, Canada just off Highway 16 north-east of Terrace on the north bank of the Skeena River. Once famous for berry-growing, a flood in the 1930s destroyed most of the community. A few people still live there now. Access is by the Usk Ferry, a reaction ferry, or...
, through the Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
, and then through the Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
Kleanza Creek Provincial Park
Kleanza Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Kleanza Creek is a tributary of the Skeena River....
. It then flows south-west through the city of Terrace
Terrace, British Columbia
Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
, where the river widens. It continues westwards, followed by the Highway 16 and Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
line, passes near the Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park
Exchamsiks River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
, then flows into the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
at Eleanor Passage, between Port Edward
Port Edward, British Columbia
The District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
and Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
, facing De Horsey Island.
Tributaries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
Upper Skeena
- Bear River, Johanson Creek, Shilahou Creek, Slamgeesh River, Sustut RiverSustut RiverThe Sustut River is a major tributary of the Skeena River in the north-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It forms the northwest boundary of the Hogem Ranges and flows southwest to meet the Skeena, north of Hazelton...
Middle Skeena
- Babine RiverBabine RiverBabine River is a river in central British Columbia, Canada. It drains Babine Lake and is a tributary of the Skeena River, and is about 60 mi long....
, Boucher Creek, Buck Creek, Bulkley RiverBulkley RiverThe Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 km long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 km²....
, Comeau Creek, Cullon Creek, Date Creek, Deep Canoe Creek, Fulton River, Harold Price Creek, Kispiox River, Kitseguecla River, Maxan Creek, McCully Creek, McQueen Creek, Morice RiverMorice RiverThe Morice River is the outflow of Morice Lake south west of Houston, British Columbia, Canada. Morice Lake and Morice River are named after Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice The Morice River is a small river when it leaves Morice Lake but it converges with the Thautil and Gosnell Rivers...
, Nangeese River, Nanika River, Nilkitkwa RiverNilkitkwa RiverThe Nilkitkwa River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows south into the Babine River north of Nilkitkwa Lake....
, Pinkut Creek, Richfield Creek, Shegunia River, Simpson Creek, Stephens Creek, Suskwa River, Sweetin River, Toboggan Creek
Lower Skeena
- Alwyn Creek, Big Falls Creek, Cedar Creek, Coldwater Creek, Copper River, Deep Creek, Dog Tag Creek, Ecstall River, Erlandsen Creek, Exchamsiks RiverExchamsiks River Provincial ParkExchamsiks River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
, Exstew River, Fiddler Creek, Gitnadoix River, Goat Creek, Johnston Creek, Johnston Lake, Kaeen Creek, Kasiks River, Khyex River, Kitsumkalum River, Kitwanga RiverKitwanga RiverThe Kitwanga River is a tributary of the Skeena River near Hazelton in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, joining that stream at the community of Kitwanga , which means "people of the place of rabbits"....
, Kleanza CreekKleanza Creek Provincial ParkKleanza Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Kleanza Creek is a tributary of the Skeena River....
, Lakelse River, Lean-To Creek, Limonite Creek, Magar Creek, Moonlit Creek, Salmon Run Creek, Sockeye Creek, Spring Creek, Star Creek, Thomas Creek, Trapline Creek, White Creek, Williams Creek, Zymagotitz River, Zymoetz RiverZymoetz RiverThe Zymoetz River is a tributary of the Skeena River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Zymoetz River originates in the Coast Mountains and flows generally south and west to join the Skeena River just east of Terrace, British Columbia....
Wildlife
The Skeena supports a wide variety of fish and wildlife. The British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, through BC Parks, has designated a number of Ecological Reserves along the course of the river.Fish
The Skeena is well-known for its sport fishing, most notably salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. The Skeena is also very important to the commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
industry. For example, numbering 5 million spawning salmon a year, the Skeena is second only to 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...
in Canada in its capacity to produce 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...
. However, in the last 40 years there has been a decrease in some of the fish species, leading to strict fishing regulations for the commercial fishery however the sports fishery has dramatically increased over the years, has become increasingly commercialized with the advent of paid guide and charter boat operations, yet the sports catch is poorly monitored and may be greatly exceeding a sustainable level.
The following types of pacific salmon can be found in the Skeena:
- Chinook salmonChinook salmonThe Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, sometimes known as King, Tyee, Spring, Quinnat, Tule, or Blackmouth salmon. - Chum salmonChum salmonThe chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon, and may also be known as dog salmon or Keta salmon, and is often marketed under the name Silverbrite salmon...
, sometimes known as Dog or Calico salmon. - Coho salmonCoho salmonThe Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
, sometimes known as Silver salmon. - Pink salmonPink salmonPink salmon or humpback salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon.- Appearance :...
, sometimes known as Humpback salmon. - Sockeye salmonSockeye salmonSockeye 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...
, sometimes known as Red salmon or Blueback salmon. - Steelhead (see Steelhead#Taxonomy regarding confusion on its classification)
Bears
The rare Kermode bearKermode bear
The Kermode bear , also known as a "spirit bear" , is a subspecies of the American Black Bear living in the central and north coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is noted for about 1/10 of their population having white or cream-coloured coats...
lives in and near the Skeena Valley from Prince Rupert to Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
. The region is also home to many 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...
and brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s. Grizzly bears are less common in the area but the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Established August 1994, northeast of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the purpose of the park is to protect the north coast grizzly bear by preserving a part of the ecosystem in which they live.At in size,...
is located nearby.
History
Fur trading
The Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
's local headquarters were at Port Simpson, although Port Essington
Port Essington, British Columbia
Port Essington was a cannery town on the south bank of the Skeena River estuary in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, and at the confluence of the Skeena and Ecstall Rivers. It was founded in 1871 by Robert Cunningham and Thomas Hankin and was for a time...
was also used extensively as a port for its sternwheelers.
Riverboats
While canoes played a crucial role on the Skeena for centuries, the age of the steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
heralded a new era of boating on the Skeena. The first steam-powered vessel to enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon
Kitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
and reached Hazelton. A number of other steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to the growing fish industry and the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
.
See also
- List of British Columbia rivers
- Steamboats of the Skeena RiverSteamboats of the Skeena RiverThe Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as in a day and can fluctuate as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia...
- List of ships in British Columbia
Footnotes
