Wells Gray Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
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 (524,990 hectares or 1.3 million acres). It is British Columbia's fourth largest park, after Tatshenshini, Spatsizi
and Tweedsmuir
.
and most water that originates in the park flows into this river. The northern two-thirds of the park is extremely rugged with relief ranging from Clearwater Lake
at an elevation of 680 m (2,231 ft) to 2860 m (9,383 ft) at Garnet Peak
. These summits are part of the Cariboo Mountains, and most of the east boundary of the park follows the mountain divide between drainage into the North Thompson River and into the Clearwater River. Individual mountain groups dominate the topography of the northern park region and are separated by deep glacially carved valleys, several of which contain large lakes such as Clearwater, Azure
and Hobson
. The ruggedness of its features has ensured that northern Wells Gray remains little known except to the hardiest of backpackers.
The southern third of Wells Gray Park is traversed by the Clearwater Valley Road, although large areas are accessible only by trail. The dominant topography features volcanic plateaus, lava flows and deep canyons which are crowned by several peaks over 2300 m (7,546 ft) high. The waterfalls, for which Wells Gray is famous, usually result from the interaction of volcanic eruptions and glacial activity. The best known is Helmcken Falls
, the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, which plunges 141 m (463 ft) over the edge of one of these volcanic plateaus.
Prior to the arrival of white people, the Wells Gray area was a valued hunting ground to the Secwepemc (Shuswap)
, Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)
and Canim Lake
aboriginal groups. This resulted in a conflict about 1875 over access to caribou herds. Geographic names like “Battle Mountain”, “Fight Lake”, “Battle Creek” and "Indian Valley" recall this period.
The Overlanders expedition to the Cariboo goldfields
rafted down the North Thompson River in 1862. When they arrived at the mouth of the Clearwater River, they noted its distinct clarity compared to the muddy North Thompson and named it Clear Water. In 1863, the first tourists, Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle, traveled through the North Thompson Valley and solidified the Clearwater River name by publishing it in their journal, The Northwest Passage by Land (London, 1865).
Between 1872 and 1881, about 20 survey parties fanned out across British Columbia trying to find the best route for the Canadian Pacific Railway
between Yellowhead Pass
in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast. Three survey parties visited what is now Wells Gray Park. In 1873, Marcus Smith, searching for the ideal route to Bute Inlet, visited Hobson Lake and Mahood Lake. In 1874, the railway dispatched a survey party to explore the headwaters of the Clearwater River, under the leadership of E.W. Jarvis. The altitude of the pass was calculated at 2130 m (6,988 ft) (actually only 1800 m (5,906 ft)) and the route skirted an immense glacier before descending to the Raush River, a tributary of the Fraser River — “clearly impracticable for a railway line”. When the more southern Kicking Horse Pass was chosen instead in 1881, all the meticulously examined routes in what is now Wells Gray Park were abandoned. Only three place names in the park recognize those 10 wasted years of surveys: Murtle River
& Lake
, Mahood River
& Lake
, and Marcus Falls.
Helmcken Falls was discovered in 1913 by Robert Lee, a land surveyor working for the British Columbia government. He was so impressed with the waterfall that he wrote a letter from his remote camp to Sir Richard McBride, Premier of British Columbia, requesting that the falls be named "McBride Falls". Three weeks later, Lee received a reply from the Premier stating that the waterfall was instead to be called Helmcken Falls. This name honoured John Sebastian Helmcken
, a physician with the Hudson's Bay Company
who arrived in Victoria in 1850. He helped bring British Columbia into Canadian Confederation
in 1871. Dr. Helmcken died in 1920 at the age of 95, but never actually saw the falls himself.
The first homesteaders in what is now Wells Gray Park were John Ray in 1911 at The Horseshoe and Michael Majerus in 1912 on the Murtle River near Dawson Falls. Both cleared land, built cabins and established isolated lifestyles far from other people. Other settlers who arrived between 1918 and 1925 were the Ludtke family, Lewis Rupell, Pete McDougal, Jack Zellers, Dave Anderson, Alex Fage and Herman Ordschig.
On July 16, 1926, the entire Clearwater Valley between First Canyon and the Murtle River was destroyed by a forest fire. It started from a lightning strike west of the Clearwater River, smouldered for several weeks, then was fanned by winds and moved rapidly north through the homesteads. The Ludtke family immersed themselves in Battle Creek for 8 hours, dampening some blankets to cover their heads, and their livestock and even wild animals joined them for protection. The Rupell cabin was the only one that did not burn. The fire crossed the Murtle River and burned part way up Kilpill Mountain. After its initial rampage, it burned slowly in the marshes of the Murtle Plateau until mid-August, when it was finally extinguished by a heavy rain. Over 125000 acres (505.9 km²) of the Clearwater Valley were burned and most settlers lost almost everything they owned. However, there was not a single human fatality.
Soon after the discovery of Helmcken Falls, a park was suggested to preserve the waterfall. Nothing happened, so in 1925 the B.C. Auto Club started a campaign to establish a park around the falls. The Minister of Lands, Duff Pattullo, was not interested and rebuffed the club by stating that the falls were there and could not get away, so why bother setting up a park. In the mid-1930s, there were more recommendations for a park at Helmcken Falls. Finally the government began to listen, mostly because a new Minister of Lands, Arthur Wellesley Gray
, was interested in parks and recognized the growing need to preserve special places in British Columbia. In 1938, Gray and his Chief Forester, Ernest Manning, created Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
in the Coast Mountains near Bella Coola and Hamber Provincial Park
in the Rocky Mountains. In 1939, a forest ranger near Clearwater, Bill Noble, recommended a park and on November 28, 1939, Gray passed an Order-in-Council creating a huge park around most of the drainage basin of the Clearwater River. He named the park for himself (Wells was his nickname). In 1941, he and Manning were working on establishing a new park in British Columbia's Cascade Mountains when Manning was killed in a plane crash and that park was named E.C. Manning Provincial Park. Tourists and hikers of the 21st century owe much to the vision of Gray and Manning.
of the Fraser River
in 1948 nearly changed the Clearwater River and Wells Gray Park forever. In November 1947, the Federal Minister of Public Works proposed the creation of a joint federal-provincial committee to study the Fraser’s water resources. The flood made this project all the more urgent and, in late 1948, the Dominion-Provincial Board, Fraser River Basin was established to report on power generation, fisheries, flood control, water supply and recreation. Between 1949 and 1954, the committee of ten collected basic data and filled in the gaps in other government studies. No report was produced, but, in 1953, 12 detailed maps of the Clearwater River between Hemp Creek and the North Thompson River were published. These had a scale of 1 inch = 500 feet and a contour interval of 20 feet. Over 50 years later, these sheets are still the most detailed and accurate topographic maps available of the lower Clearwater, although they are out-of-date regarding human developments.
The Fraser River committee proposed two dams, one just upstream from Clearwater and one at Sabre Tooth Rapids, but nothing happened. In 1955, the federal and provincial governments replaced this committee with a smaller one, the Fraser River Board, which had only four members. It was directed to determine what development of the Fraser’s water resources would be feasible, particularly regarding flood control and hydro-electric power. The Board published two preliminary reports, one about flood control in 1956 and one about hydro-electric developments in 1958.
The idea of developing hydro power from the Clearwater River and its tributaries was not new to the Fraser River Board. In 1918, Helmcken Falls was studied as a source of power for Kamloops, although the length of the transmission lines ended that notion. In the late 1940s, the Aluminum Company of Canada examined the power potential of Helmcken Falls, but chose Kitimat instead, thereby flooding northern Tweedsmuir Park instead of Wells Gray. In 1959, a comprehensive development of the Murtle River was proposed by the British Columbia Power Commission.
All these proposals pale in comparison to the final report of the Fraser River Board, issued in 1963. Although dams were proposed elsewhere such as on the Cariboo
and McGregor
Rivers and at the Grand Canyon of the Fraser
, the Clearwater River attracted most of the attention with seven dams and five reservoirs recommended. The dams would be located 4 km (2.5 mi) upstream from the North Thompson confluence, at the lower end of Granite Canyon, at Sabre Tooth Rapids, near Myanth Falls (upper and lower dams), at the outlet of Hobson Lake and on the low pass between Hobson and Quesnel
Lakes. Together, these dams would turn the Clearwater River into a 160 km long (100-mile long) series of reservoirs extending nearly to its glacial source above Hobson Lake. Each dam would back water almost to the foot of the next one, similar to the Columbia River today which has little free-flowing water. The dam at Sabre Tooth Rapids would be the highest at 137 m (449 ft), flooding most of Helmcken Canyon, inundating Sylvia and Goodwin Falls, and submerging the bottom 10 m (33 ft) of Helmcken Falls. The plan for Bailey’s Chute envisaged two dams; the lower dam at Myanth Falls would divert the river into a 1.7 km (1.1 mi) power canal ending at Bailey’s Chute. Collectively, the proposal (including the other rivers) was called System E and the cost of construction was estimated at $398,503,500.
There was little reaction, positive or negative, to the Fraser River Board’s report. In the 1960s, there was less leisure time than today, and the public was not too concerned about losing remote preserves such as Wells Gray Park, when British Columbia had so much wilderness land. The park may have been saved because the British Columbia government was preoccupied in the 1960s with planning and building (and paying for) the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River
and Mica Dam
, Keenleyside Dam
and Duncan Dam
, all part of the Columbia River Treaty
projects.
In 1971, BC Hydro
, the provincial power utility, revived the Fraser River Board’s report and took a new look at the feasibility and costs of building the seven dams on the Clearwater River. Fortunately, in just a decade, the environmental movement had gained power and credibility in the province, and BC Hydro’s interest in the Clearwater quickly caught the attention of the Shuswap-Thompson River Research and Development Association (STRRADA) and the newly formed Yellowhead Ecological Association based in Clearwater, BC. One of the undertakings was to offer bus tours of Wells Gray Park during the summer of 1972. The tours stopped at viewpoints where the volunteer guides urged passengers to imagine how the valley would look when flooded by the dams. The strategy was very effective and succeeded in creating an uproar of protest about the dams. Within a year, the plan to dam the Clearwater River was quietly shelved, but BC Hydro retained its water rights until 1987 when the flooding reserve on the Clearwater was cancelled.
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 park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of 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...
and covers 5,250 square kilometres (524,990 hectares or 1.3 million acres). It is British Columbia's fourth largest park, after Tatshenshini, Spatsizi
Spatsizi 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:...
and Tweedsmuir
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Formerly part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park it was formed from the southern portion of that park, the northern portion being redesignated Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area in order to allow...
.
Topography
The boundaries of Wells Gray Park encompass 60 percent of the drainage basin of the Clearwater RiverClearwater 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...
and most water that originates in the park flows into this river. The northern two-thirds of the park is extremely rugged with relief ranging from Clearwater Lake
Clearwater Lake (British Columbia)
Clearwater Lake is one of six large lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Clearwater River, downstream from Hobson Lake.-Formation:...
at an elevation of 680 m (2,231 ft) to 2860 m (9,383 ft) at Garnet Peak
Garnet Peak
Garnet Peak is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located between Goat Creek and Azure Lake. Situated in the Cariboo Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, it is the highest mountain in Wells Gray Provincial Park with an elevation of...
. These summits are part of the Cariboo Mountains, and most of the east boundary of the park follows the mountain divide between drainage into the North Thompson River and into the Clearwater River. Individual mountain groups dominate the topography of the northern park region and are separated by deep glacially carved valleys, several of which contain large lakes such as Clearwater, Azure
Azure Lake
Azure Lake is a fjord-like lake located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Azure River which rises from an unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains. The outflow is also called the Azure River, but it is only long before it flows into the Clearwater River...
and Hobson
Hobson Lake
Hobson Lake is the uppermost lake on the Clearwater River in east-central British Columbia, Canada. Hobson Lake is one of the six major lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park....
. The ruggedness of its features has ensured that northern Wells Gray remains little known except to the hardiest of backpackers.
The southern third of Wells Gray Park is traversed by the Clearwater Valley Road, although large areas are accessible only by trail. The dominant topography features volcanic plateaus, lava flows and deep canyons which are crowned by several peaks over 2300 m (7,546 ft) high. The waterfalls, for which Wells Gray is famous, usually result from the interaction of volcanic eruptions and glacial activity. The best known is Helmcken Falls
Helmcken Falls
Helmcken Falls is a waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939....
, the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, which plunges 141 m (463 ft) over the edge of one of these volcanic plateaus.
History
Secwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
, Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)
Tsilhqot'in
The Tsilhqot'in are a Northern Athabaskan First Nations people that live in British Columbia, Canada...
and Canim Lake
Canim Lake Band
The Canim Lake Band is a First Nations government of the Secwepemc Nation, located in the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its main Indian reserve is located at Canim Lake, British Columbia, near 100 Mile House. It was created when the government of the...
aboriginal groups. This resulted in a conflict about 1875 over access to caribou herds. Geographic names like “Battle Mountain”, “Fight Lake”, “Battle Creek” and "Indian Valley" recall this period.
The Overlanders expedition to the Cariboo goldfields
Cariboo Gold Rush
The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Although the first gold discovery was made in 1859 at Horsefly Creek, followed by more strikes at Keithley Creek and Antler Horns lake in 1860, the actual rush did not begin until 1861, when these discoveries were...
rafted down the North Thompson River in 1862. When they arrived at the mouth of the Clearwater River, they noted its distinct clarity compared to the muddy North Thompson and named it Clear Water. In 1863, the first tourists, Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle, traveled through the North Thompson Valley and solidified the Clearwater River name by publishing it in their journal, The Northwest Passage by Land (London, 1865).
Between 1872 and 1881, about 20 survey parties fanned out across British Columbia trying to find the best route for 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...
between Yellowhead Pass
Yellowhead Pass
The Yellowhead Pass is a mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies. It is located on the border between the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and lies within Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park....
in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast. Three survey parties visited what is now Wells Gray Park. In 1873, Marcus Smith, searching for the ideal route to Bute Inlet, visited Hobson Lake and Mahood Lake. In 1874, the railway dispatched a survey party to explore the headwaters of the Clearwater River, under the leadership of E.W. Jarvis. The altitude of the pass was calculated at 2130 m (6,988 ft) (actually only 1800 m (5,906 ft)) and the route skirted an immense glacier before descending to the Raush River, a tributary of the Fraser River — “clearly impracticable for a railway line”. When the more southern Kicking Horse Pass was chosen instead in 1881, all the meticulously examined routes in what is now Wells Gray Park were abandoned. Only three place names in the park recognize those 10 wasted years of surveys: Murtle River
Murtle River
The Murtle River is a river in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of and flows southwest for to the head of gigantic Murtle Lake. The river also drains Murtle Lake then flows southwest for into the Clearwater...
& Lake
Murtle Lake
Murtle Lake is a lava dammed lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is fed primarily by the Murtle River which rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of and flows southwest for to the lake. The Murtle River also...
, Mahood River
Mahood River
The Mahood River is a river in the northern Shuswap Highland of the Central Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River...
& Lake
Mahood Lake
Mahood Lake is a lake in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is drained by the Mahood River, a tributary of the Clearwater River which has cut a deep canyon into Cambrian rocks and Pleistocene glacial moraines...
, and Marcus Falls.
Helmcken Falls was discovered in 1913 by Robert Lee, a land surveyor working for the British Columbia government. He was so impressed with the waterfall that he wrote a letter from his remote camp to Sir Richard McBride, Premier of British Columbia, requesting that the falls be named "McBride Falls". Three weeks later, Lee received a reply from the Premier stating that the waterfall was instead to be called Helmcken Falls. This name honoured John Sebastian Helmcken
John Sebastian Helmcken
John Sebastian Helmcken was a British Columbia physician who played a prominent role in bringing the province into Canadian Confederation...
, a physician with the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson'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...
who arrived in Victoria in 1850. He helped bring British Columbia into Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1871. Dr. Helmcken died in 1920 at the age of 95, but never actually saw the falls himself.
The first homesteaders in what is now Wells Gray Park were John Ray in 1911 at The Horseshoe and Michael Majerus in 1912 on the Murtle River near Dawson Falls. Both cleared land, built cabins and established isolated lifestyles far from other people. Other settlers who arrived between 1918 and 1925 were the Ludtke family, Lewis Rupell, Pete McDougal, Jack Zellers, Dave Anderson, Alex Fage and Herman Ordschig.
On July 16, 1926, the entire Clearwater Valley between First Canyon and the Murtle River was destroyed by a forest fire. It started from a lightning strike west of the Clearwater River, smouldered for several weeks, then was fanned by winds and moved rapidly north through the homesteads. The Ludtke family immersed themselves in Battle Creek for 8 hours, dampening some blankets to cover their heads, and their livestock and even wild animals joined them for protection. The Rupell cabin was the only one that did not burn. The fire crossed the Murtle River and burned part way up Kilpill Mountain. After its initial rampage, it burned slowly in the marshes of the Murtle Plateau until mid-August, when it was finally extinguished by a heavy rain. Over 125000 acres (505.9 km²) of the Clearwater Valley were burned and most settlers lost almost everything they owned. However, there was not a single human fatality.
Soon after the discovery of Helmcken Falls, a park was suggested to preserve the waterfall. Nothing happened, so in 1925 the B.C. Auto Club started a campaign to establish a park around the falls. The Minister of Lands, Duff Pattullo, was not interested and rebuffed the club by stating that the falls were there and could not get away, so why bother setting up a park. In the mid-1930s, there were more recommendations for a park at Helmcken Falls. Finally the government began to listen, mostly because a new Minister of Lands, Arthur Wellesley Gray
Wells Gray (Canadian politician)
Arthur Wellesley Gray was a British Columbia cabinet minister and mayor. He is particularly noted for his work creating some of British Columbia's early provincial parks and Wells Gray Provincial Park is named for him...
, was interested in parks and recognized the growing need to preserve special places in British Columbia. In 1938, Gray and his Chief Forester, Ernest Manning, created Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Formerly part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park it was formed from the southern portion of that park, the northern portion being redesignated Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area in order to allow...
in the Coast Mountains near Bella Coola and Hamber Provincial Park
Hamber Provincial Park
Hamber Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the provincial border with Alberta, surrounded on three sides by Jasper National Park.-History:The park was named in honour of Eric W...
in the Rocky Mountains. In 1939, a forest ranger near Clearwater, Bill Noble, recommended a park and on November 28, 1939, Gray passed an Order-in-Council creating a huge park around most of the drainage basin of the Clearwater River. He named the park for himself (Wells was his nickname). In 1941, he and Manning were working on establishing a new park in British Columbia's Cascade Mountains when Manning was killed in a plane crash and that park was named E.C. Manning Provincial Park. Tourists and hikers of the 21st century owe much to the vision of Gray and Manning.
Clearwater River dams
The disastrous floodHistory of flooding in Canada
The history of flooding in Canada is marked by events caused by excessive rainfall and excessive snowmelt. Flood events have had a significant effect on the various regions of the country.-1894 Fraser River flood:...
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...
in 1948 nearly changed the Clearwater River and Wells Gray Park forever. In November 1947, the Federal Minister of Public Works proposed the creation of a joint federal-provincial committee to study the Fraser’s water resources. The flood made this project all the more urgent and, in late 1948, the Dominion-Provincial Board, Fraser River Basin was established to report on power generation, fisheries, flood control, water supply and recreation. Between 1949 and 1954, the committee of ten collected basic data and filled in the gaps in other government studies. No report was produced, but, in 1953, 12 detailed maps of the Clearwater River between Hemp Creek and the North Thompson River were published. These had a scale of 1 inch = 500 feet and a contour interval of 20 feet. Over 50 years later, these sheets are still the most detailed and accurate topographic maps available of the lower Clearwater, although they are out-of-date regarding human developments.
The Fraser River committee proposed two dams, one just upstream from Clearwater and one at Sabre Tooth Rapids, but nothing happened. In 1955, the federal and provincial governments replaced this committee with a smaller one, the Fraser River Board, which had only four members. It was directed to determine what development of the Fraser’s water resources would be feasible, particularly regarding flood control and hydro-electric power. The Board published two preliminary reports, one about flood control in 1956 and one about hydro-electric developments in 1958.
The idea of developing hydro power from the Clearwater River and its tributaries was not new to the Fraser River Board. In 1918, Helmcken Falls was studied as a source of power for Kamloops, although the length of the transmission lines ended that notion. In the late 1940s, the Aluminum Company of Canada examined the power potential of Helmcken Falls, but chose Kitimat instead, thereby flooding northern Tweedsmuir Park instead of Wells Gray. In 1959, a comprehensive development of the Murtle River was proposed by the British Columbia Power Commission.
All these proposals pale in comparison to the final report of the Fraser River Board, issued in 1963. Although dams were proposed elsewhere such as on the Cariboo
Cariboo River
The Cariboo River is a river in the Cariboo District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is a tributary of the Quesnel River, joining that river just northwest of the settlement of Likely. Its reaches below Cariboo Lake were formerly known also as the North Fork Quesnel...
and McGregor
McGregor River
The McGregor River is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.The river is named in honor of Captain James Herrick McGregor who fought and died in 1915 at the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgian Flanders.-Course:...
Rivers and at the Grand Canyon of the Fraser
Grand Canyon of the Fraser
thumb|right|250px|Scow at Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon of the Fraser is a short gorge on the Fraser River in north-central British Columbia about 30km upstream from the confluence of the Bowron River and about 100km due east of downtown Prince George, British Columbia...
, the Clearwater River attracted most of the attention with seven dams and five reservoirs recommended. The dams would be located 4 km (2.5 mi) upstream from the North Thompson confluence, at the lower end of Granite Canyon, at Sabre Tooth Rapids, near Myanth Falls (upper and lower dams), at the outlet of Hobson Lake and on the low pass between Hobson and Quesnel
Quesnel Lake
Quesnel Lake is a glacial lake or fjord in British Columbia, Canada, and is the origin of the Quesnel River. With a maximum depth of 610 meters , it is the deepest lake in British Columbia, though not the deepest lake in Canada, as is often claimed. That distinction belongs to Great Slave Lake...
Lakes. Together, these dams would turn the Clearwater River into a 160 km long (100-mile long) series of reservoirs extending nearly to its glacial source above Hobson Lake. Each dam would back water almost to the foot of the next one, similar to the Columbia River today which has little free-flowing water. The dam at Sabre Tooth Rapids would be the highest at 137 m (449 ft), flooding most of Helmcken Canyon, inundating Sylvia and Goodwin Falls, and submerging the bottom 10 m (33 ft) of Helmcken Falls. The plan for Bailey’s Chute envisaged two dams; the lower dam at Myanth Falls would divert the river into a 1.7 km (1.1 mi) power canal ending at Bailey’s Chute. Collectively, the proposal (including the other rivers) was called System E and the cost of construction was estimated at $398,503,500.
There was little reaction, positive or negative, to the Fraser River Board’s report. In the 1960s, there was less leisure time than today, and the public was not too concerned about losing remote preserves such as Wells Gray Park, when British Columbia had so much wilderness land. The park may have been saved because the British Columbia government was preoccupied in the 1960s with planning and building (and paying for) the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River
Peace River (Canada)
The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...
and Mica Dam
Mica Dam
The Mica Dam is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River 135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. Completed in 1973 under the terms of the 1964 Columbia River Treaty, the Mica powerhouse has a generating capacity of . The dam is operated by BC Hydro...
, Keenleyside Dam
Keenleyside Dam
Hugh Keenleyside Dam is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River, 12 km upstream of the city of Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada....
and Duncan Dam
Duncan Dam
Duncan Dam is a dam spanning the Duncan River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.Duncan Dam was the first dam built to satisfy the Columbia River Treaty, initiated after the 1948 Vanport Oregon flood. Construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1967. It is an earthfill dam with no...
, all part of the Columbia River Treaty
Columbia River Treaty
The Columbia River Treaty is an agreement between Canada and the United States of America on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. For more information about the Columbia River Treaty, visit Columbia Basin...
projects.
In 1971, BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
, the provincial power utility, revived the Fraser River Board’s report and took a new look at the feasibility and costs of building the seven dams on the Clearwater River. Fortunately, in just a decade, the environmental movement had gained power and credibility in the province, and BC Hydro’s interest in the Clearwater quickly caught the attention of the Shuswap-Thompson River Research and Development Association (STRRADA) and the newly formed Yellowhead Ecological Association based in Clearwater, BC. One of the undertakings was to offer bus tours of Wells Gray Park during the summer of 1972. The tours stopped at viewpoints where the volunteer guides urged passengers to imagine how the valley would look when flooded by the dams. The strategy was very effective and succeeded in creating an uproar of protest about the dams. Within a year, the plan to dam the Clearwater River was quietly shelved, but BC Hydro retained its water rights until 1987 when the flooding reserve on the Clearwater was cancelled.
Natural history
Wells Gray Park is bordered on every side by different types of terrain and these merge within the boundaries to give the park its great diversity. According to B.C. Parks, Wells Gray contains over 700 species of vascular plants, over 200 species of mushrooms, 56 species of mammals and 219 species of birds. There are many factors that so enrich the park and these include the 1926 forest fire, the proximity of the Fraser Plateau westward, the Cariboo Mountains northeastward, the interior wet belt eastward, and the semi-desert zone to the south. Within the Park, micro-climates, altitude, soil type, and the availability of water all have their effects and contribute to the existence of this large variety of plant and animal life. The park is densely forested with conifers and areas above 1900 m (6,234 ft) have extensive alpine meadows. Nature Wells Gray is recommended to visitors seeking detailed information about the park’s natural history.Climate
Winters in the Clearwater Valley are severe, with an average of 1 m (3.3 ft) of accumulated snow at lower elevations and much more higher up. Snow may linger along the low elevation roads until mid-April and never completely disappears from the north sides of the mountains. Early May and most of June are often rainy and, during the summer, storms occur about once a week. Average annual precipitation at Clearwater is 43 cm (17 in) and this increases as one travels north into the Park and closer to the mountains. Clearwater Lake receives over 60 cm (24 in) and Azure Lake about 80 cm (31 in). Summer temperatures in the Clearwater Valley are often in the mid-20s Celsius, but may reach 30 degrees, and vary considerably according to altitude. September through mid-October usually features clear warm days, cool nights and colourful fall foliage.Access
There are five roads that provide access to Wells Gray Park.- Clearwater Valley Road (commonly called Wells Gray Park Road). It starts from the Yellowhead HighwayYellowhead HighwayThe 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...
in Clearwater and ends at Clearwater LakeClearwater Lake (British Columbia)Clearwater Lake is one of six large lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Clearwater River, downstream from Hobson Lake.-Formation:...
, 68 km (42.3 mi) north. Almost all visitors to the park use this road. Three of the park's four campgrounds are along this road. The park's best known attractions are reached via Clearwater Valley Road: Spahats FallsSpahats FallsSpahats Creek Falls, also called Spahats Falls, is a waterfall on Spahats Creek within Wells Gray Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. Common references place the falls at around tall, but taking into account the second tier, it is closer to 75–80 meters tall...
, Clearwater Valley Overlook, Trophy MountainTrophy MountainTrophy Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Raft River to the east and Spahats Creek to the south. Trophy Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland...
, Moul Falls, Battle MountainBattle Mountain (British Columbia)Battle Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Stevens Lakes are to the east, Philip Creek is to the south and Hemp Creek is to the north. Battle Mountain is part of the...
, The Flatiron, Green Mountain, Dawson FallsDawson FallsDawson Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.Dawson Falls was named in 1913 by land surveyor Robert Henry Lee after George Herbert Dawson, the Surveyor-General for British Columbia from 1912-1917...
, The Mushbowl, Helmcken FallsHelmcken FallsHelmcken Falls is a waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939....
, Ray Farm, Bailey's Chute and Clearwater Lake. The road is paved for the first 42.2 km (26.2 mi) to the Helmcken junction, then it becomes a good gravel road. - Clearwater River Road. It starts in Clearwater and hugs the west bank of the Clearwater River north for 37.9 km (23.6 mi) to the confluence of the Mahood RiverMahood RiverThe Mahood River is a river in the northern Shuswap Highland of the Central Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River...
. Attractions are The Kettle, Sabre Tooth Rapids, White Horse Bluff, and Sylvia and Goodwin Falls on the Mahood River. This road is used for river access by Clearwater's three rafting companies. The road is rough and maintained by its users, and a high-clearance vehicle is recommended. - Mahood Lake Road. It starts from Highway 24 between 100 Mile House on Highway 97 and Little Fort on Highway 5. From the latter, it is 127.7 km (79.3 mi) to the end at Deception Point on Mahood Lake. There is a 34-unit campground at Mahood Lake. Attractions are Canim FallsCanim FallsCanim Falls is a waterfall on the Canim River between Canim and Mahood Lakes in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately in height as measured in 1968 , and is cut into a lava plateau associated with the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field which...
, Mahood LakeMahood LakeMahood Lake is a lake in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is drained by the Mahood River, a tributary of the Clearwater River which has cut a deep canyon into Cambrian rocks and Pleistocene glacial moraines...
beaches and Deception Falls. Most of the road is gravel. - Murtle Lake Road. It starts at Blue RiverBlue River, British ColumbiaBlue 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...
on the Yellowhead Highway and climbs for 27 km (16.8 mi) to the pass. A short trail, designed for portaging canoes or kayaks, goes the rest of the way to Murtle LakeMurtle LakeMurtle Lake is a lava dammed lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is fed primarily by the Murtle River which rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of and flows southwest for to the lake. The Murtle River also...
. Murtle is North America's largest paddle-only lake. The road is rough and high-clearance vehicles are recommended but not essential. - Flourmill VolcanoesFlourmill VolcanoesThe Flourmill Volcanoes, also known as The Flourmills, are a small volcano range near the west boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada...
Road. It starts at 100 Mile House on Highway 97. There is no signage to help at the many junctions; refer to Exploring Wells Gray Park for directions. The road is 97.1 km (60.3 mi) long, mostly gravel and dirt. From the end of the road, it is a hike of 3.1 km (1.9 mi) to the cone.
Attractions
The park is popular from mid-May through mid-October. Campgrounds are open and serviced from late May to mid-September. The park is open year-round, but in winter the Clearwater Valley Road is plowed only as far as Helmcken Falls. Following are the park's major attractions:- Helmcken FallsHelmcken FallsHelmcken Falls is a waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939....
is the park’s main tourist draw. The waterfall is Canada’s fourth highest with a vertical drop of 141 m (463 ft). There are several trails that lead to other viewpoints such as the brink and the bottom of the falls. In winter, an ice cone forms which grows halfway up the falls if it is very cold and snowy. - Spahats FallsSpahats FallsSpahats Creek Falls, also called Spahats Falls, is a waterfall on Spahats Creek within Wells Gray Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. Common references place the falls at around tall, but taking into account the second tier, it is closer to 75–80 meters tall...
is a 60 m (197 ft) tall waterfall on Spahats Creek where it drops into the Granite Canyon of the Clearwater River. - Trophy MountainsTrophy MountainTrophy Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Raft River to the east and Spahats Creek to the south. Trophy Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland...
are on the south edge of Wells Gray Park and consist of nine summits. The meadows bloom in late June and again in late July to early August. There are many hiking trails and routes in the meadows and on the peaks. - Third Canyon has sidewalks on both sides of the road bridge for safe viewing of two waterfalls on the upstream side and a 80 m (262 ft) deep gorge on the downstream side.
- Moul FallsMoul FallsMoul Falls is a waterfall on Grouse Creek in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the park's most popular short hiking trails. It is the only waterfall in the park that one can stand behind...
on Grouse Creek is 35 m (115 ft) high. It is one of the park's most popular short hikes and it is the only waterfall that hikers can go behind. - Green Mountain has a road to the top. A viewing tower provides a panorama of southern Wells Gray Park.
- Dawson FallsDawson FallsDawson Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.Dawson Falls was named in 1913 by land surveyor Robert Henry Lee after George Herbert Dawson, the Surveyor-General for British Columbia from 1912-1917...
is on the Murtle River 5 km (3.1 mi) upstream from Helmcken Falls. It is 20 m (66 ft) high and 90 m (295 ft) wide. - The Mushbowl is a narrow canyon downstream from Dawson Falls. The Clearwater Valley Road bridges the Murtle River here. Some of Wells Gray Park's oldest rocks are seen here.
- Ray Farm is an abandoned homestead. John Ray lived here from 1911 to 1947. He married Alice Ludtke in 1932 and they raised three children in the wilderness.
- Bailey's Chute is a low waterfall on the Clearwater River. In late summer and fall, salmon can be seen trying to jump the falls. A continuation of this trail goes to Marcus Falls, Myanth Falls and West Lake.
- Clearwater LakeClearwater Lake (British Columbia)Clearwater Lake is one of six large lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Clearwater River, downstream from Hobson Lake.-Formation:...
is the end of the Clearwater Valley Road. Two large campgrounds are located here. Osprey Falls is a low waterfall that the lake empties over to become the Clearwater River. Boat tours, boat rentals and a public boat launching are available here and allow access deeper into Wells Gray Park via Clearwater Lake and Azure Lake. - Murtle LakeMurtle LakeMurtle Lake is a lava dammed lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is fed primarily by the Murtle River which rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of and flows southwest for to the lake. The Murtle River also...
is a wilderness lake in the southeast part of the park. See access section above. - Canim FallsCanim FallsCanim Falls is a waterfall on the Canim River between Canim and Mahood Lakes in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately in height as measured in 1968 , and is cut into a lava plateau associated with the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field which...
is in the far western end of the park, reached by Mahood Lake Road. The Canim River flows over a lava cliff that is 25 m (82 ft) high. - Mahood LakeMahood LakeMahood Lake is a lake in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is drained by the Mahood River, a tributary of the Clearwater River which has cut a deep canyon into Cambrian rocks and Pleistocene glacial moraines...
is reached from the west via Mahood Lake Road. A campground and beach are at the west end of the lake. The lake is 21 km (13 mi) long.
Waterfalls
Wells Gray Park bears the nickname "Canada's Waterfalls Park" because 39 waterfalls are found within its boundaries. There are actually many more, if you count the numerous creeks that cascade down the mountainsides, but the following table lists the named waterfalls.| Waterfall Name | Height in metres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Allison | 15 | Philip Creek below Philip Lake |
| Are | 15 | Philip Creek above confluence with Trout Creek |
| Bailey's Chute | 10 | Clearwater River above The Horseshoe |
| Candle Creek | 10 | Candle Creek near Clearwater River |
| Canim Canim Falls Canim Falls is a waterfall on the Canim River between Canim and Mahood Lakes in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately in height as measured in 1968 , and is cut into a lava plateau associated with the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field which... |
25 | Canim River between Canim and Mahood Lakes |
| Coal Creek | 40 | Coal Creek in the Hemp Canyonlands |
| Cougar | 20 | Cougar Creek falling into Helmcken Canyon |
| Crystal | 30 | Unnamed creek flowing into north side of Azure Lake |
| Dawson Dawson Falls Dawson Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.Dawson Falls was named in 1913 by land surveyor Robert Henry Lee after George Herbert Dawson, the Surveyor-General for British Columbia from 1912-1917... |
20 | Murtle River |
| Deception | 50 | Deception Creek above Mahood Lake |
| Fage | 30 | Fage Creek near Clearwater River |
| Falls Creek | 4 | Confluence of Falls Creek and Clearwater River |
| Garnet Azure Lake Azure Lake is a fjord-like lake located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Azure River which rises from an unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains. The outflow is also called the Azure River, but it is only long before it flows into the Clearwater River... |
30 | Garnet Creek above Azure Lake |
| Goodwin Mahood River The Mahood River is a river in the northern Shuswap Highland of the Central Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River... |
10 | Mahood River below Sylvia Falls |
| Helmcken Helmcken Falls Helmcken Falls is a waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939.... |
141 | Murtle River |
| Hemp | 8 | Hemp Creek west of The Flatiron |
| Horseshoe Horseshoe Falls (British Columbia) Horseshoe Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River west of Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. Horseshoe Falls has two steps, apart; the upper drop is high and the lower and much wider drop is high.... |
6 and 10 | Murtle River |
| Ida | 20 | Third Canyon Creek near Buck Hill |
| Lifely | 10 | Unnamed creek flowing into east side of Clearwater Lake |
| Mahood Mahood Falls Mahood Falls is a waterfall in Wells Gray Provincial Park located on the Canim River between Canim Lake and Mahood Lake and northeast of 100 Mile House, British Columbia, Canada. The waterfall is high.... |
20 | Unnamed creek, part of Canim River outflow from Canim Lake |
| Majerus Majerus Falls Majerus Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River west of Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada.Majerus Falls is high and wide, a similar width to Dawson Falls downstream.... |
12 | Murtle River |
| Marcus | 5 | Clearwater River above Bailey's Chute |
| McDiarmid McDiarmid Falls McDiarmid Falls is a waterfall on Grouse Creek in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is located downstream from Moul Falls and upstream from Grouse Creek's confluence with the Clearwater River.... |
10 | Grouse Creek near confluence with Clearwater River |
| McDougall McDougall Falls McDougall Falls is a waterfall on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada.McDougall Falls is located 5 km downstream from the Diamond Lagoon of Murtle Lake. It is 14 m high. A hiking trail follows the south shore of the Murtle River from the lagoon... |
14 | Murtle River below Murtle Lake |
| Meadow Meadow Falls Meadow Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River west of Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. Meadow Falls is high.... |
8 | Murtle River below McDougall Falls |
| Moul Moul Falls Moul Falls is a waterfall on Grouse Creek in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the park's most popular short hiking trails. It is the only waterfall in the park that one can stand behind... |
35 | Grouse Creek above confluence with Clearwater River |
| Mushbowl | 5 | Murtle River at Clearwater Valley Road bridge |
| Myanth | 3 | Clearwater River above Marcus Falls |
| Osprey | 3 | Clearwater River at mouth of Clearwater Lake |
| Rainbow Azure Lake Azure Lake is a fjord-like lake located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Azure River which rises from an unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains. The outflow is also called the Azure River, but it is only long before it flows into the Clearwater River... |
20 | Angus Horne Creek above Azure Lake |
| Roostertail | 10 | Unnamed creek flowing into south side of Azure Lake |
| Second Canyon | 15 | Second Canyon Creek below Clearwater Valley Road |
| Silvertip | 200 | Silvertip Creek above Spahats Creek Road |
| Spahats | 75 | Spahats Creek near confluence with Clearwater River |
| Sticta | 10 | Falls Creek 1 km upstream from Clearwater River |
| Sundt | 25 | Lickskillet Creek near Hobson Lake |
| Sylvia Mahood River The Mahood River is a river in the northern Shuswap Highland of the Central Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River... |
20 | Mahood River 3.5 km above Clearwater River |
| Third Canyon | 8 and 10 | Third Canyon Creek above Clearwater Valley Road |
| Triple Decker | 60 | Candle Creek below Clearwater Valley Road |
Campgrounds
| Campground name | # of sites | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Lake | 39 | Km 65 Clearwater Valley Road; RV dump, showers, outhouses, running water, small store, naturalist talks; very popular in July and August but reservations taken |
| Falls Creek | 41 | Km 64.7 Clearwater Valley Road; shares Clearwater Lake's facilities/services; outhouses, running water; very popular in July and August but reservations taken |
| Pyramid | 50 | Km 42 Clearwater Valley Road; outhouses, hand-pump for water; seldom full as mosquitoes are abundant |
| Mahood Lake | 34 | Near end of Mahood Lake Road; outhouses, running water, playground, boat launching ramp, sandy beach; reservations taken |
| North Thompson | 61 | On Yellowhead Highway, 5 km south of Clearwater (not in Wells Gray Park); RV dump, outhouses, running water, playground; reservations taken |
External links
- BC Parks Official Park Site
- Wells Gray Provincial Park on Google Maps
- Blackwell Park Operations - site is about trails, viewpoints, camping, boating