Thompson River (Fraser River)
Thompson River | ||
Thompson River catchment area |
||
Data | ||
location | British Columbia ( Canada ) | |
River system | Fraser River | |
Drain over | Fraser River → Pacific Ocean | |
confluence | from North and South Thompson Rivers at Kamloops 50 ° 40 ′ 52 ″ N , 120 ° 20 ′ 23 ″ W |
|
Source height | 1113 m | |
muzzle | near Lytton in the Fraser River Coordinates: 50 ° 14 '8 " N , 121 ° 35' 0" W 50 ° 14 '8 " N , 121 ° 35' 0" W. |
|
Mouth height | 472 m | |
Height difference | 641 m | |
Bottom slope | 4.2 ‰ | |
length | 151 km | |
Catchment area | 55,400 km² | |
Discharge at the gauge near Spences Bridge A Eo : 55,400 km² Location: 27 km above the mouth |
MQ 1952/2015 Mq 1952/2015 |
776 m³ / s 14 l / (s km²) |
Left tributaries | Nicola River | |
Right tributaries | Deadman River , Bonaparte River | |
Flowing lakes | Kamloops Lake | |
Medium-sized cities | Kamloops | |
Thompson River |
The Thompson River is a major orographic left tributary of the Fraser River in the southern Canadian province of British Columbia .
It was named in 1808 by Simon Fraser after the explorer David Thompson , who was the first to explore the entire length of the Columbia River . The upper reaches consists of two main rivers, the South Thompson River and the North Thompson River. Together with its headwaters, the North Thompson River, it reaches a length of 489 km.
The South Thompson River (332 km length measured from the source of the tributary Shuswap River , 17,800 km² catchment area) begins at the outlet from Little Shuswap Lake and flows in a south-westerly direction through a wide valley to Kamloops , where it joins the North Thompson River . The Highway 1 , the Trans-Canada Highway and the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway running along the river. Shuswap Lake is fed by the Shuswap River in the south, the Seymour River in the northeast and the Adams River in the north.
The North Thompson River (338 km length, 20,700 km² catchment area, 425 m³ / s mean discharge) rises in the mountains west of Valemount and flows south to Kamloops and into the South Thompson. Highway 5 and the Canadian National Railway run along the river . The North Thompson Valley forms the main access from the south of the province to Yellowhead Pass , the lowest pass crossing over the Rocky Mountains .
Just west of Kamloops is Kamloops Lake . At Savona , the river emerges from the approximately 30-kilometer-long lake. The Thompson River flows through a canyon between Ashcroft and Lytton . The river joins the Fraser River near Lytton .
North Thompson River | ||
Bridge over the North Thompson River at Kamloops |
||
Data | ||
River system | Fraser River | |
Drain over | Thompson River → Fraser River | |
Headwaters |
Cariboo Mountains 52 ° 38 ′ 39 " N , 119 ° 42 ′ 36" W. |
|
Association with | South Thompson River to Thompson River 50 ° 40 ′ 59 ″ N , 120 ° 20 ′ 30 ″ W
|
|
length | 338 km | |
Catchment area | 20,700 km² | |
Discharge at the McLure A Eo gauge : 19,600 km² Location: 47 km above the estuary |
MQ 1959/2015 Mq 1959/2015 |
429 m³ / s 21.9 l / (s km²) |
Right tributaries | Blue River , Clearwater River |
South Thompson River | ||
River system | Fraser River | |
Drain over | Thompson River → Fraser River | |
origin |
Little Shuswap Lake 50 ° 49 ′ 43 " N , 119 ° 41 ′ 50" W. |
|
Association with | North Thompson River to Thompson River 50 ° 40 ′ 59 ″ N , 120 ° 19 ′ 59 ″ W
|
|
length | 332 km (to the source of the Shuswap River) | |
Catchment area | 17,800 km² | |
Discharge at the Monte Creek A Eo gauge : 16,600 km² Location: 29 km above the mouth |
MQ 1959/1970 Mq 1959/1970 |
299 m³ / s 18 l / (s km²) |
Web links
- Thompson River . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- North Thompson River . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- South Thompson River . In: BC Geographical Names (English)