Athabasca River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Athabasca River | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Origin | Columbia Icefield |
| Mouth | Lake Athabasca |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Length | 1,231 km[1] |
| Source elevation | 1,520 m (foot of glacier) |
| Mouth elevation | 205 m |
| Avg. discharge | 20,860,000 dam³[2] |
| Basin area | 95,300 km²[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 from the Jasper townsite.
In Woods Cree, the word āthapāskāw means "clumps of plants" - likely a reference to the spotty vegetation along the river. The Canadian Heraldic Authority has named Athabaska Herald after the river.
Contents |
[edit] History
Sekani, Shuswap, Kootenay, Salish, Stoney and Cree tribes hunted and fished along the river proir to the european colonization. David Thompson and Thomas the Iroquois travelled through the Athabasca Pass in 1811. In 1862, the Atahbasca springs area was crossed during the Cariboo Goldrush.
[edit] Heritage
This river has been 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.[3]
[edit] Course
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, where its course is marked by rapids, impeding navigation north of Fort McMurray.[4]
The Athabasca River travels 1500 km 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 133,000 km² (at Fort McMurray).[2]
Many communities are located on the banks of this river. Among the larger ones are Jasper, Hinton, Whitecourt, Athabasca and Fort McMurray.
[edit] Tributaries
|
Rocky Mountains
|
Foothills and plains
|
Lakeland
|
[edit] Gallery
 Athabasca River flowing into the linn at the Athabasca Falls |
 Athabasca River with Colin Range in the background |
 Athabasca River at the mouth of Brule Lake |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Atlas of Canada. Canadian Rivers. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
- ^ a b Environment Alberta. River Basins in Alberta. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
- ^ Canadian Heritage River System. Athabasca River. Retrieved on 2006-11-12.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). Athabasca River. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
| Rivers and Lakes of Alberta | ||
|---|---|---|
| Major Rivers | Athabasca · Beaver · Hay · Milk · North Saskatchewan · Peace · Red Deer · Slave · South Saskatchewan |
 |
| Other Rivers | Battle · Bow · Brazeau · Chinchaga · Crowsnest · Clearwater · Elbow · Firebag · Lesser Slave · Little Smoky · Oldman · Pembina · Petitot · Sheep · Smoky · Sunwapta · Wabasca · Wapiti · (more...) | |
| Major Lakes | Athabasca · Bistcho · Claire · Lesser Slave | |
| Other Lakes | Abraham · Beaverhill · Brûlé · Calling · Cold · La Biche · Louise · Maligne · Minnewanka · Moraine · Peyto · Pigeon · Pinehurst · Pyramid · Skeleton · Sylvan · Utikuma · Vermilion · Wabamun · Waterton · Zama · (more...) | |
