Klinaklini River

Klinaklini River
Klinaklini River is located in British Columbia
Klinaklini River
Mouth of Klinaklini River
EtymologyKwak'wala word for eulachon grease[2]
Native name
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictRange 2 Coast Land District
Physical characteristics
SourceUnnamed lake
 • locationCoast Mountains
 • coordinates51°45′3″N 125°5′51″W / 51.75083°N 125.09750°W / 51.75083; -125.09750[3]
 • elevation2,130 m (6,990 ft)[4]
MouthPacific Ocean
 • location
Knight Inlet, Coast Mountains
 • coordinates
51°5′32″N 125°37′34″W / 51.09222°N 125.62611°W / 51.09222; -125.62611[1]
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Basin size5,780 km2 (2,230 sq mi)[5]
Discharge 
 • locationmouth[5]
 • average299 m3/s (10,600 cu ft/s)[5]
 • minimum38 m3/s (1,300 cu ft/s)
 • maximum3,260 m3/s (115,000 cu ft/s)

The Klinaklini River /ˌklnəˈklni/ (Kwak'wala name T̓linat̓łina also spelled ƛ̓inaƛ̓ina[6]) is one of the major rivers of the Pacific Ranges section of the Coast Mountains in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates in the Pantheon Range and empties into the head of Knight Inlet.

A different spelling of Klinaklini is Kleena Kleene, which is the name of a recreational community on the river just below its exit from the Pantheon Range onto the Chilcotin Plateau. In the area of Kleena Kleene the Klinaklini, Homathko and Chilanko River basins share the same stretch of plateau.

The names Kleena Kleene and Klinaklini derive from the Kwak'wala word for eulachon grease, which is made from the eulachon, a small oily fish that ascend coastal rivers.[2]

There is a First Nation village of the Tanakteuk subdivision of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples at the mouth of the river, Tsawatti. Located on the Indian Reserve of the same name, it is the primary eulachon fishing and preservation site of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples and as such is open for use by other subdivisions of the Kwakwaka'wakw.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Klinaklini River". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ a b Akrigg, G. P. V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1997). British Columbia Place Names. UBC Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-7748-0637-4. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference topo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Elevation derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, using GeoLocator, and source coordinates.
  5. ^ a b c "Historical Hydrometric Data Search". Water Survey of Canada. Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016. Search for Station 08GE002 Klinaklini River East Channel (main) near the mouth
  6. ^ "Klinaklini River". BC Geographical Names.
  7. ^ "Tsawatti (First Nation Village)
  8. ^ "Tsawatti 1 (Indian Reserve)"