Ashlu Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ashlu Creek |
|
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | An unnamed lake east of Mount Crerar Pacific Ranges 3,907 ft (1,191 m) 50°5′17″N 123°37′19″W / 50.08806°N 123.62194°W |
| River mouth | Squamish River Northwest of Squamish 118 ft (36 m) 49°53′43″N 123°18′11″W / 49.89528°N 123.30306°W |
Ashlu Creek is a fast-flowing creek, almost like a small river, located in British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Squamish River, about 24.3 kilometers (about 15 miles) northwest of the town of Squamish.
Where Ashlu Creek Flows
Ashlu Creek starts from a lake that doesn't have a name, located east of a mountain called Mount Crerar. From its start all the way to where it joins the Squamish River, it flows towards the southeast.
A special part of the creek is the Ashlu Canyon. This canyon is about 3.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) long and begins at Ashlu Falls. It has many big rapids and steep drops. Because of these features, it's known as one of the best places for kayaking in the area. The canyon ends about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) before the creek meets the Squamish River.
Making Electricity from Water
Ashlu Creek is used to create clean electricity! A special power plant, called a run-of-river hydro installation, was built below the canyon. It started working in December 2009.
This type of power plant doesn't need a big dam. Instead, it takes some water from the creek using a diversion weir (a small wall) about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) upstream. This water then travels through a tunnel to the power house.
The plant can produce 49 megawatts (MW) of power. This means it can generate about 265,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity each year. That's enough power for many homes! The company that owns and operates this power plant is Innergex Renewable Energy.
Small Streams that Join Ashlu Creek
A tributary is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one. Ashlu Creek has one main tributary and several smaller ones.
Its biggest tributary is Tatlow Creek. Tatlow Creek flows northeast from a faraway lake called Tatlow Lake. It joins Ashlu Creek about 15.8 kilometers (9.8 miles) downstream from Ashlu Creek's source.
Here are some of the other smaller creeks that flow into Ashlu Creek:
- Shortcut Creek
- Snafu Creek
- Endell Creek
- Red Mountain Creek
- Pykett Creek
- Coin Creek
- Stuyvesedt Creek
- Roaring Creek
- Pokosha Creek
- Rob Creek
- Cassetta Creek
- Mowitch Creek
- Sigurd Creek
