Beaver River (Columbia River tributary)

This article is about the tributary of the Columbia River in British Columbia. For the tributary of the Liard River in northern British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, see Beaver River (Liard River). For other streams named Beaver River, see Beaver River.
Beaver River
Map
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictKootenay Land District
Physical characteristics
SourceBeaver Glacier
 • locationGlacier National Park
 • coordinates51°03′36″N 117°17′47″W / 51.06000°N 117.29639°W / 51.06000; -117.29639[2]
MouthColumbia River
 • location
Kinbasket Lake
 • coordinates
51°32′N 117°26′W / 51.533°N 117.433°W / 51.533; -117.433[3]
Basin size1,150 km2 (440 sq mi)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationNear the mouth[1]
 • average41.9 m3/s (1,480 cu ft/s)[1]
 • minimum2.08 m3/s (73 cu ft/s)
 • maximum429 m3/s (15,100 cu ft/s)

The Beaver River, also known as the Beavermouth Creek or Beaver Creek, is a tributary of the Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada, joining that river in the Rocky Mountain Trench northwest of the town of Golden. It enters the Columbia via Kinbasket Lake.

The Beaver River is the eastern egress from the Rogers Pass and its valley is the route of the Trans-Canada Highway and Canadian Pacific Railway on that side of the pass, and it is located in Glacier National Park. Its lower reaches are officially named Beaver Canyon.[4] The pass between the Beaver River and the Duncan River forms the dividing line between the Selkirks and the Purcell Mountains.

A semi-decommissioned hiking trail follows the Beaver from the Trans-Canada highway for much of its length, including now-abandoned spurs to Copperstain Pass and Glacier Circle. The trail no longer receives maintenance from Parks Canada, which closed remaining stream crossings in 2009.[5]

  1. ^ a b c "Archived Hydrometric Data Search". Water Survey of Canada. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2008. Search for Station 08NB019 Beaver River near the mouth
  2. ^ "Beaver Glacier". BC Geographical Names.
  3. ^ "Beaver River". BC Geographical Names.
  4. ^ "Beaver Canyon". BC Geographical Names.
  5. ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (11 August 2021). "Hiking - Glacier National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 17 September 2021.