Egnell Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Egnell Creek |
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 Mouth of Egnell Creek
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| District | Cassiar Land District |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Level Mountain Nahlin Plateau 1,620 m (5,310 ft) 58°21′5″N 131°32′48″W / 58.35139°N 131.54667°W |
| River mouth | Hackett River 529 m (1,736 ft) 58°15′37″N 131°48′9″W / 58.26028°N 131.80250°W |
| Length | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 121 km2 (47 sq mi), |
| Topo map | NTS 104J5 Ketchum Lake |
Egnell Creek is a stream in the northwest part of British Columbia, Canada. It's like a smaller river that flows into a bigger one. Egnell Creek is about 24 km (15 mi) long. It flows southwest and joins the Hackett River. The Hackett River then flows into the Sheslay River, which is part of the larger Taku River system.
Near where Egnell Creek meets the Hackett River, you'll find Mount Egnell. There's also a historic place called Sheslay nearby. This spot was once a telegraph station on the old Yukon Telegraph Trail.
The area that Egnell Creek drains, called its watershed, covers about 121 km2 (47 sq mi). The amount of water flowing in the creek each year is about 1.95 m3/s (69 cu ft/s).
Egnell Creek is located about 55 km (34 mi) northwest of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. It's also about 153 km (95 mi) east of Juneau, Alaska, and 330 km (210 mi) southeast of Whitehorse, Yukon. The land around the creek is mostly covered by shrubs (46.1%), bare ground (32.4%), and conifer forests (24.5%). There are also some mixed forests.
Egnell Creek flows through the traditional lands of the Tlingit people, specifically the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, and the Tahltan people.
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Where Does Egnell Creek Start?
Egnell Creek begins on the western side of a huge shield volcano called Level Mountain. This is near the start of other rivers like the Little Tahltan River and Dudidontu River. It's also about 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Meszah Peak, which is the highest point on Level Mountain.
The creek flows southwest across Level Mountain's high, mostly bare lava plateau. After about 8 km (5.0 mi), Egnell Creek drops into a deep canyon. This canyon is carved into the steep western side of Level Mountain. Below this steep drop, the land changes to thick conifer forests. Egnell Creek continues flowing southwest until it reaches the Hackett River. This meeting point is near the old settlement of Sheslay, south of Mount Egnell.
Who Was Egnell Creek Named After?
Egnell Creek is named after a man named Albert Egnell. He was a miner, a fur trader, and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). In the 1880s, Albert Egnell worked for Rufus Sylvester, who came to the area during the Omineca Gold Rush.
In 1888, the Hudson's Bay Company bought a trading post from Sylvester. This post became known as Liard Post, or Lower Post, located about 265 km (165 mi) northeast of Egnell Creek. Albert Egnell then joined the HBC and managed this Liard Post. During the 1890s, he worked in northwestern British Columbia, sometimes for the HBC and sometimes on his own.
Albert Egnell was looking for minerals in the area near Egnell Creek in the 1880s. It was likely around this time that both Egnell Creek and Mount Egnell got their names.
History of the Area
The Hudson's Bay Company built a trading post near the mouth of Egnell Creek before 1898. This post was first called Tackoo, then Egnell or Egnell Post. However, the HBC stopped using it in the late 1890s.
In the early 1900s, the cabin at this old post was used as a repair station for the Yukon Telegraph Line. This telegraph line was very long, about 3,100 km (1,900 mi), and stretched from Ashcroft, British Columbia all the way to Dawson City, Yukon. Later, more buildings and a mission house were built there, and the name changed to Sheslay. This settlement is now abandoned. Today, the Yukon Telegraph Trail follows the path of the old telegraph line.
Albert Egnell spent one winter at Egnell Post. He found that there wasn't much trade happening in the area, so the post was later abandoned. Albert Egnell sadly died on June 22, 1900, from an accidental gunshot wound. He was buried at Liard Post.
Between 1891 and 1892, the Hudson's Bay Company built a trail. This trail went from the mouth of Egnell Creek, near where the Sheslay and Hackett rivers meet, up to the southwestern side of Level Mountain.
See also
