Athabasca River
| Athabasca River | |
|---|---|
 Athabasca River watershed in western Canada |
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| Origin | Columbia Icefield |
| Mouth | Lake Athabasca |
| Basin countries |  Canada |
| Length | 1,231 km (765 mi)[1] |
| Source elevation | 1,520 m (4,987 ft) (foot of glacier) |
| Mouth elevation | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Avg. discharge | 20,860,000 dam³[2] |
| Basin area | 95,300 km2 (36,796 sq mi)[1] |
The Athabasca River (French: rivière Athabasca) originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. The impressive and scenic Athabasca Falls is located upstream about 30 km (19 mi) from the Jasper townsite.
In Woods Cree, the word aðapaskāw means "[where] there are plants one after another",[3] likely a reference to the spotty vegetation along the river.
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History
Sekani, Shuswap, Kootenay, Salish, Stoney and Cree tribes hunted and fished along the river prior to the European colonization. David Thompson and Thomas the Iroquois travelled through Athabasca Pass in 1811. In 1862, the Athabasca Springs area was crossed during the Cariboo Goldrush by the Overlander Party.
Heritage
This river was designated a Canadian Heritage River for its importance to the fur trade and the construction of railways and roads opening up the Canadian West, as well as for its natural heritage.[4]
Course
Athabasca River originates at the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, between Mount Columbia, Snow Dome and the Sir Winston Churchill Range, in Jasper National Park, at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters (5,249 ft).
The river flows along icefields, through gorges, offers wildlife habitat on its shores and adjacent marshes. National and provincial parks were established to protect this habitats and landscapes, such as Jasper National Park, Sundance Provincial Park, Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park, Obed Lake Provincial Park, William A. Switzer Provincial Park. The river also crosses the southeast limits of Wood Buffalo National Park. Its course is marked by rapids, impeding navigation south of Fort McMurray.[5]
The Athabasca River travels 1,231 km (765 mi) before draining into the Peace-Athabasca Delta near Lake Athabasca, south of Fort Chipewyan and Wood Buffalo National Park. From there, its waters flow north as Slave River into the Great Slave Lake, which discharges through the Mackenzie River system into the Arctic Ocean. The cumulative drainage area is 95,300 km2 (36,796 sq mi).[2]
Many communities are located on the banks of this river. Among the larger ones are Jasper, Hinton, Whitecourt, Athabasca and Fort McMurray.
Tributaries
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Legacy
The Canadian Heraldic Authority named the position of Athabaska Herald after the river.
Gallery
 Athabasca River Valley seen from the Geraldine Lakes |
 Flowing through the Athabasca Falls |
 Passing by Jasper |
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 Athabasca River valley from the Pallisades fire lookout |
 Athabasca River at the mouth of Brule Lake |
 Upstream from Whitecourt |
 Bituminous sand banks north of Fort McMurray |
See also
- Geography of Alberta
- List of Alberta rivers
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Atlas of Canada. "Canadian Rivers". http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/rivers.html#arctic. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Environment Alberta. "River Basins in Alberta". http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/basins/BasinForm.cfm. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
- ↑ Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 52
- ↑ Canadian Heritage River System. "Athabasca River". http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/Athabasca/Athabasca_e.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). "Athabasca River". http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9010050. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
External links
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