Stikine Plateau
Encyclopedia
The Stikine Plateau is a plateau
in northern British Columbia
, Canada
. It lies between the Boundary Ranges
of the Coast Mountains
on the west and southwest and the Cassiar Mountains
along its northeast, and between the Skeena Mountains
on its south and southeast and the Jennings
and Nakina River
s on the north.
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
in northern 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...
. It lies between the Boundary Ranges
Boundary Ranges
The Boundary Ranges, also known in the singular and as the Alaska Boundary Range, are the largest and most northerly subrange of the Coast Mountains...
of the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
on the west and southwest and the Cassiar Mountains
Cassiar Mountains
The Cassiar Mountains are the most northerly group of the Northern Interior Mountains in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. They lie north and west of the Omineca Mountains, west of the northernmost Rockies and the Rocky Mountain Trench, north of the Hazelton...
along its northeast, and between 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...
on its south and southeast and the Jennings
Jennings River
The Jennings River is a river in far northern British Columbia, Canada, rising in the northern reaches of the Stikine Ranges of the Cassiar Mountains, at first running southwest, then turning northeast near the Tuya Range to enter Teslin Lake at its southern end, just to the east of the estuary of...
and Nakina River
Nakina River
The Nakina River is a river located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, rising southeast of Atlin Lake and flowing generally Southeast to its confluence with the Inklin River at the locality of Inklin, where the two rivers combine to form the commencement of the Taku River.A major tributary...
s on the north.
Sub-plateaus and mountain ranges
The plateau has a number of sub-plateaus:- the Spatsizi PlateauSpatsizi PlateauThe 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...
is the southeasternmost and occupies the area between the Skeena MountainsSkeena MountainsThe 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...
and includes the headwaters of the Stikine RiverStikine RiverThe 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...
and the basin of the Spatsizi RiverSpatsizi RiverThe Spatsizi River is a tributary of the Stikine River, rising near Mount Gunanoot in the southeastern Spatsizi Plateau."Spatsizi" is a phrase from the Sekani language meaning "red goat", a reference to the habit of mountain goats in the region of rolling in the red dust of a particular mountain,...
. - the Tanzilla PlateauTanzilla PlateauThe Tanzilla Plateau is a plateau in the Stikine Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau and is located east of the Tuya River, north of the Stikine River and surrounding Dease Lake; its eastern extremity verges on the Stikine Ranges...
lies north of the Stikine RiverStikine RiverThe 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...
and to the east of the Tuya RiverTuya RiverThe Tuya River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in far northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Rising at Tuya Lake, which is on the south side of Tuya Mountains Provincial Park, it flows south to meet the Stikine River where that river bisects the Tahltan Highland. Its main tributary is...
and includes the basin of the Tanzilla River and the headwaters of the Dease RiverDease RiverThe Dease River flows through northwestern British Columbia, Canada and is a tributary of the Liard River. The river descends from Dease Lake, though its ultimate origin is in the headwater of Little Dease Creek at Snow Peak, approximately 50 km to the west of the lake...
around Dease LakeDease Lake (British Columbia)Dease Lake is a lake in the Stikine Plateau of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located at the head of the Dease River, which flows north then northeast from the lake to join the Liard River...
and the community of the same name. The upper portion of the Grand Canyon of the StikineGrand Canyon of the StikineThe Grand Canyon of the Stikine is a 45 mile stretch of the Stikine River in northern British Columbia, Canada. It has been compared to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado in scale and was called the "Yosemite of the North" by naturalist John Muir. The canyon is home to a large population of...
, a lava-walled gorge which is cut into the larger Stikine Plateau by that river, begins on the southern edge of this plateau downstream from the community of Telegraph CreekTelegraph Creek, British ColumbiaTelegraph Creek is a small community located off Highway 37 in Northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Stikine River and Telegraph Creek. The only permanent settlement on the Stikine River, it is home to approximately 350 members of the Tahltan First Nation, as well as another 50...
. - the Klastline PlateauKlastline PlateauThe Klastline Plateau is a plateau in the Stikine Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. A subplateau of the Stikine Plateau, it is located between the Stikine River , the upper Iskut River , Mess Creek and the Klappan River...
lies south of the Stikine RiverStikine RiverThe 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...
to the north of the Klappan RangeKlappan RangeThe Klappan Range is a small subrange of the Skeena Mountains of the Interior Mountains, located between Klappan River and Iskut River in northern British Columbia, Canada.-Mountains:Mountains within the Klappan Range include:*Todagin Mountain...
of the Skeena Mountains and includes the headwaters of the Iskut RiverIskut RiverThe Iskut River is the largest tributary of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, entering it a few miles above its entry into Alaska....
. The communities of Eddontenajon and IskutIskut, British ColumbiaIskut is a small, mostly aboriginal community in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia. It is located on Highway 37, at the north end of Eddontenajon Lake just south of Dease Lake and the crossing of the Stikine River...
are located on this plateau, which is traversed by BC Highway 37British Columbia provincial highway 37Highway 37, known as the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, Terrace-Kitimat Highway from Kitimat to Terrace, and also as the Dease Lake Highway and Stikine Highway, is the northwesternmost highway in the province, and it is very scenic, passing through some of the most isolated areas of B.C...
from north to south. - the Nahlin PlateauNahlin PlateauThe Nahlin Plateau is a plateau in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located between the Sheslay River and Tuya River on the west and east and the Nahlin River and the Stikine River to the north and south...
lies west of the Tuya RiverTuya RiverThe Tuya River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in far northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Rising at Tuya Lake, which is on the south side of Tuya Mountains Provincial Park, it flows south to meet the Stikine River where that river bisects the Tahltan Highland. Its main tributary is...
, north of the Tahltan RiverTahltan RiverThe Tahltan River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows southwest into the Stikine River. The First Nations community of Tahltan is located at the confluence....
, southwest of the Sheslay RiverSheslay RiverThe Sheslay River is a river in far northwestern British Columbia in the southeast portion of the basin of the Taku River. The river is 85 km in length from the confluence of the Hackett River to the junction of the Nahlin River, which is the commencement of the Inklin River, the main SE...
and southwest of the Nahlin RiverNahlin RiverThe Nahlin River is a river in far northwestern British Columbia, Canada, flowing northwest to meet the Sheslay River, forming there the commencement of the Inklin River, the main southeast fork of the Taku....
; both of the latter are in th basin of the Taku RiverTaku RiverThe Taku River is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. Its mouth coincides with the Alaska-British Columbia border...
, via the InklinInklin RiverThe Inklin River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows northwest into the head of the Taku River, which is formed by the convergence of the Inklin with the Nakina River, which flows southwest to meet it at the uninhabited locality of Inklin, which is located at the...
. - the Kawdy PlateauKawdy PlateauThe Kawdy Plateau is a plateau in northern British Columbia, Canada, located between the Nahlin and Tuya Rivers. It includes the granitic Atsutla Range and Nazcha Hills and the volcanic Kawdy Mountain.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia....
lies to the north of the Nahlin River, to the west of the Tuya River and includes the low but rugged Atsutla RangeAtsutla RangeThe Atsutla Range is a granitic mountain range on the Kawdy Plateau in northern British Columbia, Canada. The Atsutla Range lies south of the Yukon border in between Teslin Lake and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, roughly north-northeast of Dease Lake....
, which lies in the angle of the JenningsJennings RiverThe Jennings River is a river in far northern British Columbia, Canada, rising in the northern reaches of the Stikine Ranges of the Cassiar Mountains, at first running southwest, then turning northeast near the Tuya Range to enter Teslin Lake at its southern end, just to the east of the estuary of...
and Teslin RiverTeslin RiverThe Teslin River is a river in southern Yukon Territory and northwestern British Columbia, Canada, that flows 393 miles from its source south of Teslin Lake to its confluence with the Yukon River....
s. Also included in the Kawdy is the Level Mountain RangeLevel Mountain RangeThe Level Mountain Range, also known as Level Mountain, is a mountain range in Cassiar Country, northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located just northeast of Callison Ranch, southwest of Dease Lake and about north of Mount Edziza. It consists of a massive shield volcano and lies on the Nahlin...
, one of the larger shield volcanoShield volcanoA shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
es on the planet. - the Taku PlateauTaku PlateauThe Taku Plateau is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau in the far northwestern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It lies to the south of the Teslin Plateau, part of the Yukon Plateau and to the southeast of the Yukon Plateau's other major sub-area within British Columbia, the Tagish Highland...
lies to the west of the Nahlin and Kawdy Plateaus and is located roughly in the angle of the NakinaNakina RiverThe Nakina River is a river located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, rising southeast of Atlin Lake and flowing generally Southeast to its confluence with the Inklin River at the locality of Inklin, where the two rivers combine to form the commencement of the Taku River.A major tributary...
and Inklin RiverInklin RiverThe Inklin River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows northwest into the head of the Taku River, which is formed by the convergence of the Inklin with the Nakina River, which flows southwest to meet it at the uninhabited locality of Inklin, which is located at the...
s, though including areas on the far side of the lower sections of both rivers. - the Tahltan HighlandTahltan HighlandThe Tahltan Highland is an upland area of plateau and relatively lower mountain ranges in British Columbia, Canada, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River...
, whch may also be considered to be a part of the Coast MountainsCoast MountainsThe Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
, is an intermediary area of relatively lower mountains between the Boundary Ranges and the Taku and Nahlin Plateaus, being bounded roughly by the Inklin and Tahltan Rivers on its northeast flank. It also includes a large area south of the Stikine, including the Mount EdzizaMount EdzizaMount Edziza is a stratovolcano in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The volcano and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Edziza Provincial Park. It consists of a complex of multiple peaks and ridges, with several glaciers flowing in all directions. The summit...
massif and the Spectrum RangeSpectrum RangeThe Spectrum Range, formerly called the Spectrum Mountains and the Rainbow Mountains, is a subrange of the Tahltan Highland in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia, 20 km west of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, south of Mount Edziza and north of the Arctic Lake Plateau. The...
. Its southern limit is described by a pass between upper Mess Creek and the valley of the Iskut RiverIskut RiverThe Iskut River is the largest tributary of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, entering it a few miles above its entry into Alaska....
to the south of the Spectrum Range, and it is bounded at its southeastern extremity by the Iskut, across which is the Klappan Range of the Skeena Mountains.