Nahwitti River facts for kids

The Nahwitti River is a 40-kilometre (25 mi) long river located at the very north end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It flows through Cape Scott Provincial Park and empties into Goletas Channel, which is close to Hope Island and Queen Charlotte Sound. The area of land that drains into the river, called its watershed, is 229 km² (88 sq mi) big. This area is found west and northwest of Port Hardy, north and northeast of Holberg, and north of Holberg Inlet, which is part of Quatsino Sound.

Where the Nahwitti River Gets Its Name

The name "Nahwitti" comes from a historic village of the Kwakwakaʼwakw First Nation. This village was a very important place for trading furs a long time ago, between about 1786 and 1850. It was located near where the Nahwitti River flows into the ocean.

Around 1850 and 1851, the village of Nahwitti faced difficult times and was damaged by the British Navy. Because of this, many people from the village moved to Bull Harbour on Hope Island. Today, these people are part of the Tlatlasikwala Nation. The old village is no longer there, but there is still a First Nation reserve called "Nahwitti 4" on Cape Sutil. The Tlatlasikwala Nation manages this reserve.

The River's Journey

The Nahwitti River starts about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) west of Port Hardy, not far from Kains Lake and Nahwitti Mountain. It generally flows west towards Nahwitti Lake, picking up water from many smaller streams like Kains Creek and Mead Creek along the way.

The river then goes through the Nahwitti River Recreation Site and into Nahwitti Lake. After leaving the lake, it flows north and then northwest. Just below Nahwitti Lake, Hepler Creek joins the river. Other streams like Pugh Creek, Nahshutti Creek, Rannell Creek, Godkin Creek, and Tyllia Creek (which has its own branch called Bragg Creek) also add water to the Nahwitti. Finally, the Nahwitti River enters Cape Scott Provincial Park and flows into Goletas Channel, which is part of Queen Charlotte Sound.

The "Nahwitti 4" First Nation reserve is located about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) west of the river's mouth. It's on Cape Sutil, which is the northernmost point of Vancouver Island. Hope Island is located north of Goletas Channel, and within Goletas Channel, there is a sandbar called Nahwitti Bar.

History of the Area

The land around the Nahwitti River is the traditional territory of the Tlatlasikwala and Quatsino Kwakwakaʼwakw First Nations. These groups are part of the Kwakiutl District Council and the Winalagalis Treaty Group. They have lived in and cared for this land for a very long time.

Wildlife and Nature

Even though the Nahwitti River is not very long, it is quite wide and is home to many different kinds of fish. You can find several types of salmon here, including sockeye, kokanee, coho, pink, and chum salmon. There are also different kinds of trout, such as cutthroat, steelhead, and rainbow trout. Other fish like Dolly Varden char and brook trout also live in the river.

Much of the land in the river's watershed is used for harvesting timber (cutting down trees for wood). This area is part of the Kingcome Timber Supply Area, which is in the Port McNeill Forest District. About 23% of the watershed has already had trees harvested, and about 32% of the remaining land is not suitable for harvesting. The main types of trees found here are western hemlock and western red cedar. You can also find smaller amounts of yellow cedar and coastal lodgepole pine.

The lower part of the Nahwitti River is protected within Cape Scott Provincial Park. A wilderness hiking trail called the North Coast Trail runs through this park, allowing people to explore the beautiful natural environment.