Chilcotin River
| Chilcotin River | |
|---|---|
 Chilcotin in Farwell Canyon | |
 Chilcotin River watershed (Interactive map) | |
| Native name | Cheẑqox (Chilcotin) |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| District | Lillooet Land District |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Itcha Lake |
| • location | Northeast of Itcha Mountain |
| • coordinates | 52°47′09″N 124°45′51″W / 52.78583°N 124.76417°W |
| • elevation | 5,223 ft (1,592 m) |
| Mouth | Fraser River |
• location | Upstream from Gang Ranch |
• coordinates | 51°44′22″N 122°24′03″W / 51.73944°N 122.40083°W |
• elevation | 1,152 ft (351 m) |
| Length | 241 km (150 mi) |
Basin size | 19,300 km2 (7,500 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | below Big Creek |
| • average | 102 m3/s (3,600 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 13.8 m3/s (490 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 1,100 m3/s (39,000 cu ft/s) |
The Chilcotin River /tʃɪlˈkoʊtɪn/ located in Southern British Columbia, Canada is a 241 km (150 mi) long tributary of the Fraser River. The name Chilcotin comes from Tŝilhqot’in, meaning "ochre river people," where ochre refers to the mineral used by Tŝilhqot’in Nation and other Indigenous communities as a base for paint or dye. The Chilcotin River, Chilko River and Lake, and Taseko River and Lake make up the Chilcotin River watershed. This 19,200 km2 (7,400 sq mi) watershed drains the Chilcotin Plateau which reaches north to south from the Nechako Plateau to Bridge River county and east to west from Fraser River to the Coast Mountains. It is also one of twelve watersheds that make up the Fraser River Basin. Made up of seven major tributaries, Chilcotin River starts northeast of Itcha Mountain, flowing southeast until it joins the Fraser River south of Williams Lake, 22 km (14 mi) upstream from Gang Ranch.
The geological processes that created this region support its diverse history, climate, and ecology. This diversity is also illustrated by the presence of biogeoclimatic zones and a rich population of fish. Canadian Fisheries and many communities within the region such as: Alexis Creek, Hanceville, and the Tŝilhqot’in Nation depend on the diversity of Chilcotin River. In recent years, its diverse history, climate, and ecology has been impacted by a number of environmental concerns such as: increases in flooding, changes in water quality, declines in steelhead trout populations, and an increase in mountain pine beetle outbreaks.