Athabasca River

Athabasca River
Athabasca River watershed in western Canada
Origin	Columbia Icefield 52°10′04″N 117°25′50″W / 52.16778°N 117.43056°W / 52.16778; -117.43056
Mouth	Lake Athabasca 58°37′35″N 110°50′05″W / 58.62639°N 110.83472°W / 58.62639; -110.83472
Basin countries	Canada
Length	1,231 km (765 mi)[1]
Source elevation	1,520 m (4,987 ft) (foot of glacier)
Mouth elevation	205 m (673 ft)
Avg. discharge	20,860,000 dam³[2]
Basin area	95,300 km2 (36,796 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 30 km (19 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 prior 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 Athabasca Glacier, between Mount Columbia, Snow Dome and the Sir Winston Churchill Range, in Jasper National Park, at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters (5,249 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. Its course is marked by rapids, impeding navigation south of Fort McMurray.^[5]

The Athabasca River travels 1,231 km (765 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 95,300 km² (36,796 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 Valley seen from the Geraldine Lakes	Flowing through the Athabasca Falls	Passing by Jasper	In Jasper National Park
Athabasca River valley from the Pallisades fire lookout	Athabasca River at the mouth of Brule Lake	Upstream from Whitecourt	Bituminous sand banks north of Fort McMurray

See also

• Geography of Alberta
• List of Alberta rivers

References

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