Cowichan River

Cowichan River
The Cowichan River in Marie Canyon
Data
location	on Vancouver Island in British Columbia (Canada)
River system	Cowichan River
origin	Cowichan Lake 48 ° 52 ′ 0 ″  N , 124 ° 16 ′ 0 ″  W.
Source height	159  m
muzzle	south of Duncan in Cowichan Bay ( Strait of Georgia ) Coordinates: 48 ° 46 ′ 0 ″  N , 123 ° 38 ′ 0 ″  W 48 ° 46 ′ 0 ″  N , 123 ° 38 ′ 0 ″  W
Mouth height	0  m
Height difference	159 m
Bottom slope	3.4 ‰
length	47 km
Catchment area	900 km²
Communities	Lake Cowichan

The Cowichan River is a river on Vancouver Island and flows southeast from Cowichan Lake , which is surrounded by mountains , over a distance of 47 km through forests and fields to a wide estuary in Cowichan Bay near the city of Duncan . After the community of Lake Cowichan , it also crosses the Cowichan River Provincial Park .

The word "Cowichan" comes from "Khowutzun" from the language of the coastal Salish and means "land warmed by the sun". There is hardly any ice on the river in winter.

The tidal estuary is a wintering area for thousands of waterfowl, while salmon and trout spawn in the upper reaches of the river and its tributaries . This ensured a rich supply of food for the indigenous people and the river was a central place of residence for the coastal salish. Today the river is home to the Lake Cowichan First Nation and a resort for the nearby communities. At the mouth there was originally a Lyackson village called T'aat'ka7

A path runs the length of the river and there is a 20 km park where you can fish, swim and canoe in the river.

The Cowichan River has been a Canadian Heritage River since 2004 .

Web links

• Cowichan River . In: BC Geographical Names (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Cowichan River. In: env.gov.bc.ca. Conservation - BC Parks - British Columbia Heritage Rivers Program, accessed June 10, 2015 . 
2. ^ Canadian Rivers. In: env.gov.bc.ca. Conservation - BC Parks - British Columbia Heritage Rivers Program Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS), accessed June 10, 2015 .