Thompson River
Encyclopedia
The Thompson River is the largest tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the 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...

, flowing through the south-central portion 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...

, 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...

. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson. The river was named by 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...

 explorer, Simon Fraser
Simon Fraser (explorer)
Simon Fraser was a fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains...

, in honour of his friend, Columbia Basin
Columbia Basin
The Columbia Basin, the drainage basin of the Columbia River, occupies a large area–about —of the Pacific Northwest region of North America. In common usage, the term often refers to a smaller area, generally the portion of the drainage basin that lies within eastern Washington.Usage of the term...

 explorer David Thompson
David Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...

.

South Thompson River

The South Thompson originates at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake
Little Shuswap Lake
Little Shuswap Lake is a small lake in the Thompson River basin of the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, which sits at the transition between the Thompson Country to the west and the Shuswap Country to the east...

 at the town of Chase
Chase, British Columbia
Chase is a village located in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 2,500, and its main industries are forestry and tourism. It is located at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake, which is the source of the South Thompson River...

 and flows approximately 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) southwest through a wide valley to Kamloops where it joins the North Thompson. Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...

 and the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

 parallel the river. Little Shuswap Lake is fed by the Little River
Little River (Shuswap)
The Little River, also known as the Little Shuswap River, is a river in the Shuswap Country region of British Columbia, Canada. It drains Shuswap Lake just below the mouth of the Adams River and feeds Little Shuswap Lake, which is the head of the South Thompson River...

, which drains Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...

, which is fed by several rivers & creeks.

North Thompson River

The North Thompson originates at the toe of the Thompson Glacier
Thompson Glacier
Thompson Glacier is a channel glacier draining northward to the head of Paulding Bay. Delineated by G.D. Blodgett from aerial photographs taken by Operation Highjump . Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names after Egbert Thompson, Midshipman on the sloop Wilkes....

 in the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...

 west of the community of Valemount
Valemount, British Columbia
Valemount is a village of 1,018 people in east central British Columbia, Canada. It is situated between the Rocky, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. It is the nearest community to the west of Jasper National Park, and is also the nearest community to Mount Robson Provincial Park, which features...

 and flows generally south towards Kamloops and the confluence with the South Thompson. For most of its length, the river is paralleled by Highway 5, and the 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"....

 (both of which cross the river a couple times). The North Thompson passes by several small communities, the most notable being Blue River
Blue River, British Columbia
Blue River is a small community in British Columbia, situated on the Yellowhead Highway about halfway between Kamloops and Jasper, Alberta, located at the confluence of the Blue and North Thompson Rivers. It currently has 260 residents...

, Clearwater
Clearwater, British Columbia
Clearwater is a district municipality in the North Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada, north of Kamloops. The largest community in the valley, with a population of 4,960, Clearwater is predominantly employed by the forestry industry. Tourism is also a major industry, with Wells Gray...

 & Barriere
Barriere, British Columbia
Barriere is a district municipality in central British Columbia, Canada, located 66 km north of the larger city of Kamloops on Highway 5. It is situated at the confluence of the Barriere and North Thompson Rivers in the Central North Thompson Valley...

.

The North Thompson picks up the Clearwater River
Clearwater River (British Columbia)
The Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the North Thompson River, joining it at the community of Clearwater, British Columbia. The Clearwater rises from glaciers in the Cariboo Mountains and flows in a mostly southerly direction for to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the...

 at the town of Clearwater. The Clearwater, the North Thompson's largest tributary, drains much of Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...

.

A notable feature along the North Thompson is Little Hells Gate, a mini-replica of the much larger rapid on the Fraser downstream from the mouth of the Thompson. About 17.4 km upstream from the small town of Avola, the river is forced through a narrow chute only about 30 feet wide creating a rapid that resembles the Fraser's famous rapid. Many river rafting companies take advantage of the thrilling and breath-taking rapids that occur just south of Gold Pan. Including a wide array of boat styles (from a powered J-Boat to an extremely basic raft) and multi-day trip packages including food and overnight fun.

Mainstream

At Kamloops, the combined Thompson River river flows 15 km from the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers before reaching Kamloops Lake
Kamloops Lake
Kamloops Lake in British Columbia, Canada is situated on the Thompson River just west of Kamloops. The lake is 1.6 km wide, 29 km long, and up to 152 m deep...

, which is roughly 30 km in length, ending at the town of Savona
Savona, British Columbia
Savona is a small community located at the west end of Kamloops Lake, where the Thompson River exits it. It is approximately halfway between Kamloops and Cache Creek along the Trans-Canada Highway...

. From there it flows in a meandering course westwards through a broad valley area. At Ashcroft, the Thompson Canyon begins and the river turns southwestward to its confluence with the Fraser. The river is paralleled by the Trans-Canada Highway, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway.

From Ashcroft to Lytton, the river is completely confined within Thompson Canyon, making for spectacular scenery. The Thompson River joins the Fraser River in Lytton. There is a striking stretch of dark black cliffside just downstream from Ashcroft and visible from the Logan Lake-Ashcroft highway is officially-named the Black Canyon. Just below the town of Spences Bridge was the site of a major rail disaster in the early 20th Century. Communities along this section are Bighorn
Bighorn, British Columbia
Bighorn is an unincorporated settlement and locality in the Thompson Canyon in British Columbia, Canada. It is a few miles south of Spences Bridge, British Columbia...

, Shaw Springs, and Goldpan.

North Thompson River

  • Albreda River
  • Thunder River
  • Mud Creek
    Mud Creek
    There are hundreds of streams or places named Mud Creek, 881 of which are in the United States, according to the USGS GNIS.*Mud Creek tributary of the Angelina River*Mud Creek Glacier on California's Mount Shasta...

  • Blue River
  • Mad River
  • Raft River
  • Clearwater River
    Clearwater River (British Columbia)
    The Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the North Thompson River, joining it at the community of Clearwater, British Columbia. The Clearwater rises from glaciers in the Cariboo Mountains and flows in a mostly southerly direction for to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the...

  • Barriere River

South Thompson River

  • Little River
    Little River (Shuswap)
    The Little River, also known as the Little Shuswap River, is a river in the Shuswap Country region of British Columbia, Canada. It drains Shuswap Lake just below the mouth of the Adams River and feeds Little Shuswap Lake, which is the head of the South Thompson River...

     (via Little Shuswap Lake
    Little Shuswap Lake
    Little Shuswap Lake is a small lake in the Thompson River basin of the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, which sits at the transition between the Thompson Country to the west and the Shuswap Country to the east...

     from Shuswap Lake
    Shuswap Lake
    Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...

    )
  • Chase Creek
  • Monte Creek

Mainstream

  • Tranquille River
    Tranquille River
    Tranquille River is a river located in the Thompson region of British Columbia. The river is located on the north side of Kamloops Lake almost west of Kamloops, near Tranquille, Kamloops. The river was discovered as gold-bearing in 1852...

     (via Kamloops Lake)
  • Deadman River
    Deadman River
    The Deadman River, also known as the Deadman's River, Deadman Creek or Deadman's Creek, is a tributary of the Thompson River in the British Columbia Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is about in length.-Name:...

  • Bonaparte River
    Bonaparte River
    The Bonaparte River is a tributary of the Thompson River, joining it at the community of Ashcroft, British Columbia. The river is about long, including the length of Bonaparte Lake...

  • Oregon Jack Creek
  • Nicola River
    Nicola River
    The Nicola River, originally French Rivière de Nicholas or Rivière de Nicolas, adapted to Nicolas River, Nicola's River in English, , is one of the major tributaries of the Thompson River in the Canadian province of British Columbia, entering the latter at the town of Spences Bridge...

  • Murray Creek
  • Skoonka Creek
  • Nicoamen River
    Nicoamen River
    The Nicoamen River is a tributary of the Thompson River in the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located 15 km upstream from its confluence with the Thompson at Lytton....

  • Botanie Creek

See also

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK