| Fraser River | |
|---|---|
 The Fraser River, from the grounds ofWestminster Abbey, aboveHatzic inMission, British Columbia, looking upstream (E) | |
 Fraser River watershed | |
 The Fraser River and its source | |
| Etymology | Fur trader andexplorerSimon Fraser |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional districts | |
| Cities |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Fraser Pass |
| • location | Mount Robson Provincial Park,Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Canada |
| • coordinates | 52°37′41″N118°25′50″W / 52.62806°N 118.43056°W /52.62806; -118.43056 |
| • elevation | 2,145 m (7,037 ft) |
| Mouth | Fraser River Delta |
• location | Strait of Georgia,Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
• coordinates | 49°10′40″N123°12′45″W / 49.17778°N 123.21250°W /49.17778; -123.21250 |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 1,375 km (854 mi)[5] |
| Basin size | 220,000 km2 (85,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | mouth (average and min); max atHope[6][7] |
| • average | 3,475 m3/s (122,700 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 575 m3/s (20,300 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 17,000 m3/s (600,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Bowron River,Willow River,Quesnel River,Thompson River,Coquihalla River,Chilliwack River,Sumas River,Salmon River (lower mainland) |
| • right | Morkill River,McGregor River,Salmon River (interior),Nechako River,West Road (Blackwater) River,Chilcotin River,Bridge River,Harrison River,Stave River,Pitt River,Coquitlam River |
| Protection status | |
| Official name | Fraser River Delta |
| Designated | 24 May 1982 |
| Reference no. | 243[8] |
TheFraser River (/ˈfreɪzər/) is the longest river withinBritish Columbia, Canada, rising atFraser Pass nearBlackrock Mountain in theRocky Mountains and flowing for 1,375 kilometres (854 mi), into theStrait of Georgia just south of theCity of Vancouver.[5][9] The river's annual discharge at its mouth is 112 cubic kilometres (27 cu mi) or 3,550 cubic metres per second (125,000 cu ft/s), and each year it discharges about 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean.[10]
The river is named afterSimon Fraser, who led an expedition in 1808 on behalf of theNorth West Company from the site of present-dayPrince George almost to the mouth of the river.The river's name in theHalqemeylem (Upriver Halkomelem) language isSto:lo, often seen archaically asStaulo, and has been adopted by the Halkomelem-speaking peoples of the Lower Mainland as their collective name,Sto:lo. The river's name in theDakelh language isLhtakoh.[11] TheTsilhqot'in name for the river, not dissimilar to theDakelh name, isʔElhdaqox, meaningSturgeon(ʔElhda-chugh) River(Yeqox).
The Fraser drains a 220,000-square-kilometre (85,000 sq mi) area. Its source is a dripping spring atFraser Pass in theCanadian Rocky Mountains near the border withAlberta. The river then flows north to theYellowhead Highway and west pastMount Robson to theRocky Mountain Trench and theRobson Valley nearValemount. After running northwest past 54° north, it makes a sharp turn to the south atGiscome Portage, meeting theNechako River at the city ofPrince George, then continues south, progressively cutting deeper into theFraser Plateau to form theFraser Canyon from roughly the confluence of theChilcotin River, near the city ofWilliams Lake, southwards. It is joined by theBridge andSeton Rivers at the town ofLillooet, then by theThompson River atLytton, where it proceeds south until it is approximately 64 kilometres (40 mi) north of the49th parallel, which is Canada's border with theUnited States.
From Lytton southwards it runs through a progressively deeper canyon between theLillooet Ranges of theCoast Mountains on its west and theCascade Range on its east.Hell's Gate, located immediately downstream of the town ofBoston Bar, is a famous portion of the canyon where the walls narrow dramatically, forcing the entire volume of the river through a gap only 35 metres (115 feet) wide. Anaerial tramway takes visitors out over the river. Hells Gate is visible fromTrans-Canada Highway 1 about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the tramway. Simon Fraser was forced toportage the gorge on his trip through the canyon in June 1808.
AtYale, at the head of navigation on the river, the canyon opens up and the river widens, though without much adjoining lowland untilHope, where the river then turns west and southwest into theFraser Valley, a lush lowland valley, and runs pastChilliwack and the confluence of theHarrison andSumas Rivers, bending northwest atAbbotsford andMission.
The Fraser then flows pastMaple Ridge,Pitt Meadows,Port Coquitlam, and northSurrey. It turns southwest again just east ofNew Westminster, where it splits into the North Arm,[12] which is the southern boundary of the City ofVancouver, and the South Arm, which divides the City ofRichmond from theCity of Delta to the south. Richmond is on the largest island in the Fraser,Lulu Island and also onSea Island, which is the location ofVancouver International Airport, where the Middle Arm branches off to the south from the North Arm. The far eastern end of Lulu Island is namedQueensborough and is part of the City of New Westminster. Also in the lowermost Fraser, among other smaller islands, isAnnacis Island, an important industrial and port area, which lies to the southeast of the eastern end of Lulu Island. Other notable islands in the lower Fraser areBarnston Island,Matsqui Island,Nicomen Island andSea Bird Island. Other islands lie on the outer side of the estuary, most notablyWestham Island, a wildfowl preserve, andIona Island, the location of the main sewage plant for the City of Vancouver.
The Fraser'sdelta empties into theStrait of Georgia between the mainland andVancouver Island; the lands south of the City ofVancouver, including the cities ofRichmond andDelta, sit on the flatflood plain. The islands of the delta include Iona Island, Sea Island, Lulu Island, Annacis Island, and a number of smaller islands. While the vast majority of the river'sdrainage basin lies within British Columbia, a small portion in the drainage basin lies across the international border inWashington in the United States, namely the upper reaches of the tributaryChilliwack and Sumas rivers. Most of lowlandWhatcom County, Washington is part of theFraser Lowland and was formed also by sediment deposited from the Fraser, though most of the county is not in the Fraser drainage basin.
Similar to theColumbia River Gorge east ofPortland, Oregon, the Fraser exploits a topographic cleft between two mountain ranges separating a more continental climate (in this case, that of theBritish Columbia Interior) from a milder climate near the coast. When an Arctichigh-pressure area moves into theBritish Columbia Interior and a relativelylow-pressure area builds over the generalPuget Sound and Strait of Georgia region, the cold Arctic air accelerates southwest through theFraser Canyon. These outflow winds can gust up to 97 to 129 kilometres per hour (60 to 80 mph) and have at times exceeded 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph). Such winds frequently reachBellingham and theSan Juan Islands, gaining strength over the open water of theStrait of Juan de Fuca.[13]
The estuary at the river's mouth is a site of hemispheric importance in theWestern Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.[14]
TheWater Survey of Canada currently operates 17gauge stations that measuredischarge and water level along the majority of themainstem fromRed Pass just downstream ofMoose Lake in theMount Robson Provincial Park, toSteveston in Vancouver at the river mouth.[15] With an average flow at the mouth of about 3,475 cubic metres per second (122,700 cu ft/s),[16] the Fraser is the largest river by discharge flowing into the Pacific seaboard of Canada and the fifth largest in the country.[17] The average flow is highly seasonal; summer discharge rates can be ten times larger than the flow during the winter.[17]
The Fraser's highest recorded flow, in June 1894, is estimated to have been 17,000 cubic metres per second (600,000 cu ft/s) atHope. It was calculated using high-water marks near the hydrometric station at Hope and various statistical methods. In 1948 the Fraser River Board adopted the estimate for the 1894 flood. It remains the value specified by regulatory agencies for all flood control work on the river.[7] Further studies and hydraulic models have estimated the maximum discharge of the Fraser River, at Hope during the 1894 flood, as within a range of about 16,000 to 18,000 cubic metres per second (570,000 to 640,000 cu ft/s).[7]
TheMaris Pacifici map published in 1589 features on the west coast of North-America the first ever representation of two major coastline features: the delta of the Fraser River labeled"Baia de las isleas" and the mouth of theColumbia River identified as"Rio Grande". These rivers would therefore have been sighted by visitors long before official records would confirm. In spite of limited evidence of Francis Drake expedition whereabouts in thePacific Northwest, BC history commentatorSam Bawlf posited that theOrtelius map was a proof that Drake sighted the mouth of the Fraser and came through theStrait of Juan de Fuca.[18]
On June 14, 1792, the Spanish explorersDionisio Alcalá Galiano andCayetano Valdés entered and anchored in the North Arm of the Fraser River, becoming the first Europeans to officially find and enter it.[19] The existence of the river, but not its location, had been deduced during the 1791 voyage ofJosé María Narváez, underFrancisco de Eliza.
The upper reaches of the Fraser River were first explored bySir Alexander Mackenzie in 1793, and fully traced bySimon Fraser in 1808, who confirmed that it was not connected with theColumbia River.
The lower Fraser was revisited in 1824 when theHudson's Bay Company sent a crew across Puget Sound from itsFort George southern post on theColumbia River. The expedition was led byJames McMillan. The Fraser was reached via theNicomekl River and theSalmon River reachable after a portage. Friendly tribes met earlier on by the Simon Fraser crew were reacquainted with. A trading post with agricultural potential was to be located.
By 1827, a crew was sent back via the mouth of the Fraser to build and operate the originalFort Langley.[20] McMillan also led the undertaking.The trading post original location would soon become the first ever mixed ancestry and agricultural settlement in southernBritish Columbia on the Fraser (Sto:lo) river.[21]
In 1828George Simpson visited the river, mainly to examineFort Langley and determine whether it would be suitable as theHudson's Bay Company's main Pacific depot. Simpson had believed the Fraser River might be navigable throughout its length, even though Simon Fraser had described it as non-navigable. Simpson journeyed down the river and through theFraser Canyon and afterwards wrote "I should consider the passage down, to be certain Death, in nine attempts out of Ten. I shall therefore no longer talk about it as a navigable stream". His trip down the river convinced him that Fort Langley could not replaceFort Vancouver as the company's main depot on the Pacific coast.[22]
Much of British Columbia's history has been bound to the Fraser, partly because it was the essential route between the Interior and the Lower Coast after the loss of the lands south of the 49th Parallel with theOregon Treaty of 1846.[23] It was the site of its first recorded settlements of Aboriginal people (seeMusqueam,Sto:lo,St'at'imc,Secwepemc andNlaka'pamŭ), the site of the first European-Indigenous mixed ancestry settlement in southern British-Columbia (seeFort Langley), the route of multitudes of prospectors during theFraser Canyon Gold Rush and the main vehicle of the province's early commerce and industry.
In 1998, the river was designated as aCanadian Heritage River for its natural and human heritage. It remains the longest river with that designation.[5]
The Fraser is heavily exploited by human activities, especially in its lower reaches. Its banks are rich farmland, its water is used bypulp mills, and a few dams on some tributaries providehydroelectric power. The main flow of the Fraser has never been dammed partly because its high level of sediment flows would result in a short dam lifespan, but mostly because of strong opposition from fisheries and other environmental concerns. In 1858, the Fraser River and surrounding areas were occupied when the gold rush came to the Fraser Canyon and the Fraser River. It is also a popular fishing location for residents of the Lower Mainland.
The delta of the river, especially in theBoundary Bay area, is an important stopover location formigratingshorebirds.[24]
TheFraser Herald, a regional position within theCanadian Heraldic Authority, is named after the river.
The Fraser River is known for the fishing ofwhite sturgeon, all five species of Pacific salmon (chinook,coho,chum,pink,sockeye), as well assteelhead trout. The Fraser River is also the largest producer of salmon in Canada.[25] A typical white sturgeon catch can average about 500 pounds (230 kg).[26] A white sturgeon weighing an estimated 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) and measuring 3.76 metres (12 ft 4 in) was caught and released on the Fraser River in July 2012.[27] In 2021, a white sturgeon was caught on the river weighing 890 pounds (400 kg), with a length of 352 cm (11.55 ft). It was estimated to be over 100 years old. The fish was tagged and released.[28]
The most significant Fraser river floods in recorded history occurred in 1894 and 1948.[29][30]
After European settlement, the first disastrous flood in theLower Mainland (Fraser Valley andMetro Vancouver) occurred in 1894.[31][32] With no protection against the rising waters of the Fraser River, Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver communities from Chilliwack downstream were inundated with water. In the 1894 floods, the water mark at Mission reached 7.85 metres (25.75 ft).
After the 1894 flood, adyking system was constructed throughout the Fraser Valley. The dyking and drainage projects greatly improved the flood problems, but over time, the dykes were allowed to fall into disrepair and became overgrown with brush and trees. With some dykes constructed of a wooden frame, they gave way in 1948 in several locations, marking the second disastrous flood. Flooding since 1948 has been minor in comparison.
1948 saw massive flooding in Chilliwack and other areas along the Fraser River.[33] The high-water mark at Mission rose to 7.5 metres (24.7 ft). The peak flow was about 15,600 cubic meters per second.
Cool temperatures in March, April, and early May had delayed the melting of the heavy snowpack that had accumulated over the winter season. Several days of hot weather and warm rains over the holiday weekend in late May hastened the thawing of the snowpack. Rivers and streams quickly swelled with spring runoff, reaching heights surpassed only in 1894. Finally, the poorly maintained dyke systems failed to contain the water.
At the height of the 1948 flood, 200 square kilometres (50,000 acres) stood under water. Dykes broke at Agassiz, Chiliwack, Nicomen Island, Glen Valley and Matsqui. When the flood waters receded a month later, 16,000 people had been evacuated, with damages totaling $20 million, about $225 million in 2020 dollars.
Major flooding occurred once again in 1972 due to a significantspring freshet, primarily impacting regions aroundPrince George,Kamloops,Hope andSurrey.[34][35][36][37]
Due to record snowpacks on the mountains in the Fraser River catch basin which began melting, combined with heavy rainfall, water levels on the Fraser River rose in 2007 to a level not reached since 1972.[38] Low-lying land in areas upriver such asPrince George suffered minor flooding. Evacuation alerts were given for the low-lying areas not protected bydikes in theLower Mainland.[39] However, the water levels did not breach the dikes, and major flooding was averted.
Major flooding occurred in November 2021 as part of theNovember 2021 Pacific Northwest floods.
Tributaries are listed from the mouth of the Fraser and going up river.
The greatest Fraser River flood in the past century occurred in 1894, when the floodplain areas were in the very early stages of settlement and development.
In May of 1894, the Fraser River had its largest recorded flood; Abbotsford and Chilliwack were particularly hard hit. North Delta lay above the flood waters, but farmers in South Westminster to the north and Ladner to the south faced weeks of their land and homes inundated with murky silt-laden water.
On June 10, 1948, the Fraser reached a peak elevation of 7.6 metres at Mission. Before the waters receded, over a dozen dyking systems had been breached and more than 22 000 hectares, nearly one third of the entire lower Fraser Valley floodplain area, had been flooded to this depth. The floodwaters severed the two transcontinental rail lines; inundated the Trans-Canada Highway; flooded urban areas such as Agassiz, Rosedale, and parts of Mission, forcing many industries to close or reduce production; and deposited a layer of silt, driftwood and other debris over the entire area.
On June 16, the lower Fraser peaked at Hope, with a maximum instantaneous flow of 3400 cubic metres per second and a maximum elevation of 7.1 metres, well above the danger level of 6.1 metres. Damage on the Fraser in 1972 amounted to $10 million ($36.9 million in 1998 dollars) and occurred mainly in the upstream communities of Prince George and Kamloops, and in the Surrey area of the lower Fraser Valley.
In 1972, the Fraser River again experienced record flood waters – the second highest in recorded times with a discharge of 12,900 cubic metres per second and a maximum height of 10.141 meters at Hope on June 16. Wardle Street and part of Seventh Avenue were submerged, and on Tom Berry Road 10 houses were flooded and families were forced to evacuate their properties. Pumps were brought in to remove water and residents were able to return home after approximately a week.
When waters again rose in 1972, flood conditions were more reasonable controlled, with dykes, prediction and timely sandbagging. However, there was still $10 million of damage, mainly in Prince George and Surrey.
The area flooded again in 1972 and this is why in 1975 the South Westminster Dyking District transferred to Surrey under an agreement with the province to improve the existing dyke and flood protection systems.
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