Athabasca River

Athabasca River
Athabasca River watershed in western Canada
Origin	Columbia Icefield 52°10′04″N 117°25′50″W / 52.16778, -117.43056
Mouth	Lake Athabasca 58°37′35″N 110°50′05″W / 58.62639, -110.83472
Basin countries	Canada
Length	km ( mi)[1]
Source elevation	m ( ft) (foot of glacier)
Mouth elevation	m ( ft)
Avg. discharge	20,860,000 dam³[2]
Basin area	km² ( 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  km ( 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. The Canadian Heraldic Authority has named Athabaska Herald after the river.

History

Hudson's Bay Company's scow in Athabasca River, circa 1910

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.

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 in Jasper National Park

Athabasca River originates at the toe of the Columbia Glacier, between Mount Columbia, Snow Dome and the Sir Winston Churchill Range, in Jasper National Park, at an altitude of approximately  meters ( 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, where its course is marked by rapids, impeding navigation north of Fort McMurray.^[5]

The Athabasca River travels  km ( 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  km² ( 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

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Athabasca River

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

See also

• Geography of Alberta
• List of Alberta rivers

References

Hydrography of Alberta
Rivers	Athabasca · Battle · Beaver · Bow · Brazeau · Crowsnest · Firebag · Hay · Milk · North Saskatchewan · Oldman · Peace · Pembina · Red Deer · Slave · Smoky · South Saskatchewan · Wapiti · more...
Waterfalls	Athabasca · Bow · Bridal Veil · Elbow · Panther  · Sunwapta
Lakes	Athabasca · Beaverhill · Bistcho · Claire · Cold · La Biche · Lesser Slave · Pigeon · Sylvan · Utikuma · Wabamun · more...
Reservoirs	Abraham · Barrier · Chestermere · Kananaskis · McGregor · Minnewanka · Glenmore · Sikome
Glaciers	Athabasca · Bow · Columbia Icefield · Crowfoot · Hector · Peyto · Saskatchewan · Vulture · Wapta · Waputik Icefield

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