Iskut River

Iskut River
To the right and left are mountains, between which is a deep valley with numerous meandering and intersecting segments of the Iskut River proceeding into the distance. Beyond it are snow-capped mountains.
Iskut River valley above Forrest Kerr Creek
Iskut River is located in British Columbia
Iskut River
Mouth of Iskut River
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictCassiar Land District
Physical characteristics
SourceKluachon Lake
 • locationKlastline Plateau
 • coordinates57°50′37″N 130°0′31″W / 57.84361°N 130.00861°W / 57.84361; -130.00861[3]
 • elevation846 m (2,776 ft)[4][2]
MouthStikine River
 • location
Boundary Ranges
 • coordinates
56°44′54″N 131°46′58″W / 56.74833°N 131.78278°W / 56.74833; -131.78278[1][2]
 • elevation
14 m (46 ft)[4]
Length248 km (154 mi)[5]
Basin size9,544 km2 (3,685 sq mi),[6]
Discharge 
 • average457 m3/s (16,100 cu ft/s)[6]
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftTodagin Creek, Burrage Creek, Ningunsaw River, Craig River, Inhini River
 • rightLittle Iskut River, Forrest Kerr Creek, Verrett River, Twin River, Hoodoo River, Johnson River
WaterbodiesEddontenajon Lake, Kinaskan Lake, Natadesleen Lake, Tatogga Lake
WaterfallsCascade Falls
Topo mapNTS 104B Iskut River (South), 104G Telegraph Creek

The Iskut River, located in the northwest part of the province of British Columbia is the largest tributary of the Stikine River, entering it about 11 km (6.8 mi) above its entry into Alaska.[1][7][8]

From its source at Kluachon Lake[9] the Iskut River flows south and west for about 248 km (154 mi)[5] to the Stikine River near the border of British Columbia and Alaska. The upper Iskut flows south through a series of lakes: Kluachon Lake, Eddontenajon Lake, Tatogga Lake, Kinaskan Lake, Natadesleen Lake, and others. The middle Iskut encompasses the area between the Little Iskut River and Forrest Kerr Creek. Below the Ningunsaw River the Iskut flows southwest through a canyon and is regulated by the Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric Project, a run-of-river hydroelectric project. The lower Iskut flows west through an increasingly braided channel.[8]

The upper Iskut is in the Klastline Plateau, a subregion of the Stikine Plateau. The middle Iskut forms the boundary between the Stikine Plateau and the Skeena Mountains. The lower Iskut flows through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains.[10]

The Iskut River's watershed covers 9,544 km2 (3,685 sq mi),[6] and its mean annual discharge is 457 m3/s (16,100 cu ft/s).[8][6] The river's watershed's land cover is classified as 34.6% conifer forest, 20.1% barren, 18.2% snow/glacier, 13.4% shrubland, 10.0% herbaceous, and small amounts of other cover.[6] The mouth of the Iskut River is located about 48 km (30 mi) northeast of Wrangell, Alaska, about 140 km (87 mi) northwest of Stewart, British Columbia, and about 133 km (83 mi) south of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.[11][2] The Iskut watershed is highly glaciated and is characterized by landscapes shaped by geologically recent glaciers and the Laurentide Ice Sheet as well as volcanism.[8]

The Iskut River watershed is in the asserted traditional territory of the Tahltan First Nation and Iskut First Nation, of the Tahltan people.[12] The lower Iskut River is also in the traditional territory of the Tlingit, specifically the Shtax'héen Ḵwáan, commonly known as the Stikine River people.[13][14]

The name of the Iskut River possibly comes from a Nisga'a word meaning "stinking", otherwise of unknown origin.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Iskut River". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference toporama was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Derived from BCGNIS, 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 22 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Iskut River". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  8. ^ a b c d Tahltan Fisheries (2019). "Iskut Watershed Sockeye Salmon Enhancement Feasibility 2018–2019 Final Report" (PDF). Pacific Salmon Commission. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Kluachon Lake". BC Geographical Names.
  10. ^ Mathews, W.H. (1986). "Physiographic map of the Canadian Cordillera; Geological Survey of Canada, "A" Series Map" (PDF). Natural Resources Canada. doi:10.4095/122821. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference acme was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Rescan Environmental Services (2012). "Tahltan Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Desk-based Research Report" (PDF). Seabridge Gold Inc. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Traditional Tlingit Country". San Francisco Tlingit & Haida Community Council. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  14. ^ Lindley, Britany Kee’ ya aa (2017). "Solution Before Pollution: Mining and International Transboundary Rivers in Southeast Alaska". American Indian Law Journal. 6 (1). Retrieved 22 September 2021.