Clowhom River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clowhom River |
|
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | An unnamed lake Mount Jimmy Jimmy 5,732 ft (1,747 m) |
| River mouth | Salmon Inlet West of Squamish 0 ft (0 m) |
The Clowhom River is a short but interesting river located in British Columbia, Canada. It stretches about 19.8 kilometers (12.3 miles) long. This river flows into the top part of Salmon Inlet, which is an arm of the ocean. It's found about 26.2 kilometers (16.3 miles) west of a town called Squamish.
River's Journey
The Clowhom River starts from a small, unnamed lake. This lake is high up on the south side of Mount Jimmy Jimmy. From there, the river flows south for about 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles). It then reaches a quiet place called Phantom Lake.
After leaving Phantom Lake, the river turns east. Soon, it drops over a very tall waterfall called Phantom Falls. People say this waterfall is at least 500 feet (152 meters) high! The river continues flowing east for about 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles).
Next, it turns south for about 5.7 miles (9.2 kilometers). Then, it goes southwest for about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). Finally, it flows into the northern part of Clowhom Lake. The river passes through a dam when it leaves the southern end of Clowhom Lake. It only flows for about 0.3 kilometers (0.2 miles) from the dam before reaching its end in the Salmon Inlet.
Clowhom Dam
The Clowhom Dam is an important structure on the river. It was built in 1953 to help make electricity. The dam's top is 21.0 meters (69 feet) high and sits 55 meters (180 feet) above sea level. It was designed to produce 33 megawatts of power. This power was sent to a pulp mill in Port Mellon, near Gibsons.
A long pipe, called a penstock, carries water 310 meters (1,017 feet) to a single turbine. This turbine is located almost at sea level. Because there isn't always a lot of water, this power plant is mainly used during times when electricity is needed most. The area behind the dam used to be two separate lakes, Upper Clowhom Lake and Lower Clowhom Lake. Now, they are combined and known as Clowhom Lake. The dam is located 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of the town of Sechelt. It is managed by BC Hydro.49°42′41″N 123°32′7″W / 49.71139°N 123.53528°W
Sechelt Creek Power Plant
About five kilometers (3.1 miles) away from the Clowhom Dam, there's another power plant. It's called the Sechelt Creek Generating Station. This plant was finished in 1997 and is owned by Regional Power Incorporated.
This power plant uses a "run-of-river" system. This means it uses the natural flow of the river to make electricity. It has a long penstock that drops 360 meters (1,181 feet). This water then powers two turbines, each making 8.3 megawatts of electricity. The electricity produced here is sold to BC Hydro.
River Branches
The Clowhom River has four main branches, also called tributaries. These are smaller creeks or rivers that flow into the main river.
- The first one is Red Tusk Creek. It joins the Clowhom River just before it enters Clowhom Lake.
- The second is Taquat Creek. This creek flows into Clowhom Lake just below where the Clowhom River enters it.
- The third is Dempster Creek. It enters Clowhom Lake not far from where Taquat Creek joins.
- The last one is Bear Creek. This is a larger creek, almost like a small river itself. It flows into the lower parts of Clowhom Lake.
