| Strait of Georgia | |
|---|---|
The Strait of Georgia with sediment from the Fraser River clearly visible. | |
  Strait of Georgia  Strait of Georgia | |
| Location | British Columbia and Washington |
| Coordinates | 49°17′39″N 123°48′26″W / 49.29417°N 123.80722°W |
| Part of | Salish Sea |
| River sources | Fraser River, Squamish River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | Canada and United States |
| Surface area | 6,800 km2 (2,600 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 156 m (512 ft) |
| Max. depth | 420 m (1,380 ft) [1] |
| Residence time | 160 days[2] |
| Sections/sub-basins | Malaspina Strait |
| Settlements | Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Delta, Nanaimo, Courtenay |
The Strait of Georgia (French: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait[3] is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, and the extreme northwestern mainland coast of Washington, United States. It is approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) long and varies in width from 20 to 58 kilometres (12 to 36 mi).[4] Along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, it is a constituent part of the Salish Sea.
Archipelagos and narrow channels mark each end of the Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands in the south, and the Discovery Islands in the north. The main channels to the south are Boundary Pass, Haro Strait and Rosario Strait, which connect the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In the north, Discovery Passage is the main channel connecting the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait. The strait is a major navigation channel on the west coast of North America, owing to the presence of the port of Vancouver, and also due to its role as the southern entrance to the Intracoastal route known as the Inside Passage.
- ^ Environmental History and Features of Puget Sound Archived 2009-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, NOAA-NWFSC
- ^ Pawlowicz, Rich; Riche, Olivier; Halverson, Mark (2007). "The circulation and residence time of the strait of Georgia using a simple mixing‐box approach". Atmosphere-Ocean. 45 (4): 173–193. doi:10.3137/ao.450401. ISSN 0705-5900. S2CID 129018974.
- ^ BCGNIS "Georgia Strait" Archived 2007-08-15 at archive.today
- ^ Environmental History and Features of Puget Sound Archived 2009-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, NOAA-NWFSC