Kootenay River

Kootenay River Kootenai River
Kootenay River in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia
Data
Water code	US :  384301
location	Montana , Idaho (USA), British Columbia (Canada)
River system	Columbia River
Drain over	Columbia River  → Pacific Ocean
Headwaters	west of Kootenay National Park in the Rocky Mountains 51 ° 4 ′ 12 ″  N , 116 ° 23 ′ 27 ″  W
Source height	approx.  1250  m
muzzle	in the Columbia River near Castlegar (British Columbia) Coordinates: 49 ° 19 ′ 0 ″  N , 117 ° 39 ′ 4 "  W 49 ° 19 ′ 0"  N , 117 ° 39 ′ 4 "  W
Mouth height	417  m
Height difference	approx. 833 m
Bottom slope	approx. 1.1 ‰
length	780 km
Catchment area	50,300 km²
Drain	MQ	868 m³ / s
Left tributaries	Vermilion River , Palliser River , White River , Lussier River , Bull River , Elk River , Fisher River
Right tributaries	St. Mary River , Yaak River , Moyie River , Goat River , Duncan River , Slocan River
Reservoirs flowed through	Lake Koocanusa , Kootenay Lake
Small towns	Bonners Ferry , Creston , Nelson , Castlegar
Kootenai River in Montana, south of Libby Dam
Location of the dams on the Kootenay River

The Kootenay River , in the United States Kootenai River , is a 780 km (508 km of which in British Columbia) long orographic left tributary of the Columbia River in the Canadian province of British Columbia and in the US states of Montana and Idaho . It drains an area of ​​50,300 km² (37,700 km² of which in Canada) and has an average discharge rate of 868 m³ / s. Its name goes back to the local Kutenai or Ktunaxa.

course

The Kootenay River has its source in Kootenay National Park in the Rocky Mountains of eastern British Columbia. Then it flows south towards the USA . At Wardner it then flows into the Lake Koocanusa reservoir , which is located near the border between Canada and the USA. A little later it crosses the border and takes on the rivers Fisher River , Yaak River and Moyie River . At Creston it crosses the border into Canada again and flows into Kootenay Lake . At Nelson it leaves the lake again and now flows towards the southwest. At Castlegar it finally flows into the Columbia River. The course of the Kootenay River forms the southern limit of the Purcell Mountains .

Hydropower plants and dams

There are seven hydropower plants with associated dams on the course of the Kootenay River. In the direction of discharge these are:

• Dams in the United States
  • Libby Dam ( United States Army Corps of Engineers )
• Dams in Canada
  • Corra Linn Dam ( FortisBC )
  • Upper Bonnington Dam (FortisBC)
  • Lower Bonnington Dam (FortisBC)
  • South Slocan Dam (FortisBC)
  • Kootenay Canal ( BC Hydro )
  • Brilliant Dam ( Columbia Power Corporation )

Tributaries

Left: Vermilion River , Palliser River , White River , Lussier River , Bull River , Elk River , Fisher River

Rights: St. Mary River , Yaak River , Moyie River , Goat River , Duncan River , Slocan River

River diversion plans

In the 1970s, it was proposed to divert the Kootenay River in the Rocky Mountain Trench into Columbia Lake , from which the Columbia River rises. Namely, near Fairmont Hot Springs and Canal Flats , the Kootenay River flows past Columbia Lake about a mile away. A diversion of the Kootenay would have increased the energy production of the dams on the Columbia River. The project was heavily criticized by ecologists and residents of the region because of possible flooding and damage to tourism.

Since the Kootenay transports glacier water from the mountains, on the one hand the temperature of the Columbia would have dropped sharply. Columbia Lake and the downstream Windermere Lake are popular with swimmers and boaters, which is why significant disadvantages for tourism were feared. On the other hand, the higher amounts of water would have increased the risk of flooding. That's why the project was never implemented.

Trivia

The 35-minute car ferry ride across Kootenay Lake between Balfour and Kootenay Bay is considered the "longest free ferry ride" in the world.

Web links

Commons : Kootenay River  - Collection of Images

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

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kootenai River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
2. ↑ ^{a b c} The Atlas of Canada - Rivers ( Memento from January 22, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
3. ↑ ^{a b} Kootenai SubBasin plan , Northwest Power and Conservation Council