Rivers Inlet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rivers Inlet |
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 Rivers Inlet
Location in British Columbia
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| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 51°40′39″N 127°18′42″W / 51.67750°N 127.31167°W |
| Type | Fjord |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
Rivers Inlet is a long, narrow arm of the sea, known as a fjord. It is located on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. The entrance to the inlet is off Fitz Hugh Sound. It is about 125 kilometers southwest of the town of Bella Coola. It is also about 65 kilometers north of the top of Vancouver Island.
Rivers Inlet was once a very important place for fishing. It was especially famous for its huge runs of salmon.
Why is it Called Rivers Inlet?
Rivers Inlet was named by a famous explorer, George Vancouver. He named it after George Pitt, who was the 1st Baron Rivers. This naming happened in 1792. Two of Vancouver's crew members, Peter Puget and Joseph Whidbey, were the first to map this area.
What is Rivers Inlet Like?
Rivers Inlet stretches about 45 kilometers inland. At the very end of the inlet is a community also called Rivers Inlet. This town was once a center for logging and fishing. It is also the home of the Wuikinuxv people. They are an Indigenous group also known as the Oowekeeno or Rivers Inlet people.
Rivers and Lakes
Several rivers flow into Rivers Inlet. The main ones are the Kilbella River and its smaller river, the Chuckwalla River. Another important river is the Wannock River, which is about 3 kilometers long. The Wannock River flows from a large freshwater fjord called Owikeno Lake. Owikeno Lake is about 50 kilometers long.
Owikeno Lake gets its water from other rivers. These include the Tzeo, Sheemahant, and Machmell Rivers. The Machmell River is the largest of these. Its water comes from the northern part of the Ha-Iltzuk Icefield. This icefield is one of the biggest ice caps in the southern Coast Mountains. It is topped by the Silverthrone Caldera, which is a large volcanic crater.
Side Inlets
About 15 kilometers down Rivers Inlet from the town, there is a side-inlet called Moses Inlet. This inlet branches off to the north and is about 30 kilometers long. The Clyak River flows into Moses Inlet. Moses Inlet also has its own side-inlet to the west, called Hardy Inlet, which is about 15 kilometers long.
