Taseko River
Encyclopedia
The Taseko River or Desiqox in the original Chilcotin
, is a tributary of British Columbia
's Chilko River
, a tributary of the Chilcotin River
which joins the Fraser
near the city of Williams Lake
.
The Taseko has its origins at Taylor Pass
in the heart of an alpine area known as the South Chilcotin. Taylor Pass connects with Slim Creek, a major tributary of Gun Creek, which feeds the Bridge River
via Carpenter Lake
. From its source, it flows north then northwest before entering the south end of Upper Taseko Lake next to the Lord River
, one of its major tributaries. The Tchaikazan River
, another large tributary, also joins the river via the Taseko Lakes, entering at the area that separates Upper and Lower Taseko Lake. At the outlet of the two Taseko Lakes the river issues onto the broad Chilcotin Plateau
. From source to Upper Taseko Lake, the Taseko is about 30 kilometres in length. From Lower Taseko Lake to the Taseko's confluence with the Chilko River is about 85 kilometres. Including the 25 kilometre length of both Taseko Lakes, the total length of the Taseko River is around 140 kilometres.
A proposed but temporarily shelved hydroelectric proposal would dam and divert the Taseko Lakes and divert the Taseko's flow into Chilko Lake
, from where another diversion would take the combined flow of the Chilko and Taseko Rivers and feed it into the coastal drainage of the Homathko River at Tatlayoko Lake
, which would also be dammed. Further dams in the Homathko's Great Canyon are part of the proposal, which would flood key historic sites related to the Chilcotin War
of 1864.
"Desiqox", which means "Mosquito River". The Taseko Lakes in that same language as "Desiqox Biny", where "Biny" means lake and is a reference in the singular.
Chilcotin language
Chilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
, is a tributary of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
's Chilko River
Chilko River
The Chilko River is a 75 km waterway in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, connecting Chilko Lake to the Chilcotin River. Its main tributary is the Taseko River....
, a tributary of the Chilcotin River
Chilcotin River
The Chilcotin River is a long tributary of the Fraser River in southern British Columbia, Canada. It drains the Chilcotin Plateau, which lies between the Fraser River and the Coast Mountains...
which joins the Fraser
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...
near the city of Williams Lake
Williams Lake, British Columbia
Williams Lake, is a city in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the central part of a region known as the Cariboo, it is the largest urban centre between Kamloops and Prince George, with a population of 11,150 in city limits....
.
The Taseko has its origins at Taylor Pass
Taylor Pass (British Columbia)
Taylor Pass is a mountain pass in the Chilcotin Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, located at the divide between the headwaters of the Taseko River and those of Gun Creek, a tributary of the Bridge River.-See also:...
in the heart of an alpine area known as the South Chilcotin. Taylor Pass connects with Slim Creek, a major tributary of Gun Creek, which feeds the Bridge River
Bridge River
The Bridge River is, or was, a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet.-Name:Its name in the Lillooet language is Xwisten , sometimes spelled Nxwisten or Nxo-isten)...
via Carpenter Lake
Carpenter Lake
Carpenter Lake, officially Carpenter Lake Reservoir, is the largest of the three reservoirs of the Bridge River Power Project, which is located in the mountains west of Lillooet, British Columbia...
. From its source, it flows north then northwest before entering the south end of Upper Taseko Lake next to the Lord River
Lord River
The Lord River is a tributary of the Taseko River in the southern Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, joining that river via the head of Upper Taseko Lake, which is also fed by the upper reaches of the Taseko River proper. The Lord River rises in the area of...
, one of its major tributaries. The Tchaikazan River
Tchaikazan River
The Tchaikazan River is an important tributary of the Taseko River in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, flowing into it from the southwest at the narrows of the Taseko Lakes from its source on the north flank Mount Monmouth...
, another large tributary, also joins the river via the Taseko Lakes, entering at the area that separates Upper and Lower Taseko Lake. At the outlet of the two Taseko Lakes the river issues onto the broad Chilcotin Plateau
Chilcotin Plateau
The Chilcotin Plateau is part of the Fraser Plateau, a major subdivision of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. The Chilcotin Plateau is physically near-identical with the region of the same name, i.e...
. From source to Upper Taseko Lake, the Taseko is about 30 kilometres in length. From Lower Taseko Lake to the Taseko's confluence with the Chilko River is about 85 kilometres. Including the 25 kilometre length of both Taseko Lakes, the total length of the Taseko River is around 140 kilometres.
A proposed but temporarily shelved hydroelectric proposal would dam and divert the Taseko Lakes and divert the Taseko's flow into Chilko Lake
Chilko Lake
Chilko Lake is a 180 km² lake in west-central British Columbia, at the head of the Chilko River on the Chilcotin Plateau. The lake is about 65 km long, with a southwest arm 10 km long. It is one of the largest lakes by volume in the province because of its great depth, and the...
, from where another diversion would take the combined flow of the Chilko and Taseko Rivers and feed it into the coastal drainage of the Homathko River at Tatlayoko Lake
Tatlayoko Lake
Tatlayoko Lake is a lake on the Homathko River in the western Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located on a north-south axis just upstream of the entrance of the series of canyons of the Homathko, including the Great Canyon of the Homathko, on its route to the...
, which would also be dammed. Further dams in the Homathko's Great Canyon are part of the proposal, which would flood key historic sites related to the Chilcotin War
Chilcotin War
The Chilcotin War, Chilcotin Uprising or Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in people in British Columbia and white road construction workers...
of 1864.
Name origin
Taseko derives from the Chilcotin languageChilcotin language
Chilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
"Desiqox", which means "Mosquito River". The Taseko Lakes in that same language as "Desiqox Biny", where "Biny" means lake and is a reference in the singular.