Craig River

Craig River
Craig River is located in British Columbia
Craig River
Mouth of Craig River
Location
CountriesCanada, United States
Province or StateBritish Columbia, Alaska
DistrictCassiar Land District
Physical characteristics
SourceBoundary Ranges
 • locationTongass National Forest, Alaska
 • coordinates56°28′15″N 131°26′3″W / 56.47083°N 131.43417°W / 56.47083; -131.43417[3]
 • elevation640 m (2,100 ft)[4][2]
MouthIskut River
 • location
Boundary Ranges, British Columbia
 • coordinates
56°41′56″N 131°18′28″W / 56.69889°N 131.30778°W / 56.69889; -131.30778[1][2]
 • elevation
40 m (130 ft)[4]
Length50 km (31 mi)[5]
Basin size737 km2 (285 sq mi),[6]
Discharge 
 • average69.3 m3/s (2,450 cu ft/s)[6]
Basin features
Topo mapNTS 104B11 Craig River

The Craig River is a transboundary river tributary of the Iskut River in Southeast Alaska, United States, and the northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada.[1][7][8] Originating in Alaska, where it is sometimes called the South Fork Craig River,[9] the Craig flows into British Columbia, generally in a northeast then northwest direction for about 50 km (31 mi)[5] to join the Iskut River about 2 km (1.2 mi) east of the confluence of the Iskut and Hoodoo River.[10] Its main tributary is the Jekill River.[11]

The Craig River's watershed covers 737 km2 (285 sq mi),[6] and its mean annual discharge is 69.3 m3/s (2,450 cu ft/s).[6] The river's watershed's land cover is classified as 30.4% snow/glacier, 30.3% conifer forest, 17.5% barren, 12.6% shrubland, and small amounts of other cover.[6] The Alaska portion of the watershed is contained within Tongass National Forest. In British Columbia the Craig Headwaters Protected Area provides a corridor about 5 km (3.1 mi) wide around the Craig River from the Alaskan border to the Jekill River confluence.[12][13]

The mouth of the Craig River is located about 70 km (43 mi) east-northeast of Wrangell, Alaska, about 118 km (73 mi) northwest of Stewart, British Columbia, and about 135 km (84 mi) south of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.

The Craig River was named after the Canadian surveyor John Davidson Craig.[1]

The Craig River is in the traditional territory of the Tlingit, specifically the Shtax'héen Ḵwáan, commonly known as the Stikine River people.[14][15] It is also in the asserted traditional territory of the Tahltan First Nation.[13]

  1. ^ a b c "Craig River". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference toporama was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Derived from BCGNIS, GNIS, ACME Mapper, topographic maps, and Toporama
  4. ^ a b Elevation derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, using GeoLocator, BCGNIS coordinates, and topographic maps.
  5. ^ a b Length measured using BCGNIS coordinates, topographic maps, and Toporama
  6. ^ a b c d e "Northwest Water Tool". BC Water Tool. GeoBC, Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Craig River". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Craig River
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Craig River
  10. ^ "Hoodoo River". BC Geographical Names.
  11. ^ "Jekill River". BC Geographical Names.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference mapbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b "Craig Headwaters Protected Area". BC Parks. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Traditional Tlingit Country". San Francisco Tlingit & Haida Community Council. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  15. ^ Lindley, Britany Kee’ ya aa (2017). "Solution Before Pollution: Mining and International Transboundary Rivers in Southeast Alaska". American Indian Law Journal. 6 (1). Retrieved 20 September 2021.