Rutherford Creek facts for kids

Rutherford Creek is a stream in British Columbia, Canada. It's like a smaller river that flows into a bigger one, the Green River. You can find it a few miles upstream from Nairn Falls Provincial Park, close to the village of Pemberton.

The creek starts high up on the eastern side of the Pemberton Icefield, which is a large area of ice and snow. From there, it flows southeast for about half its journey, then turns and flows generally east. Rutherford Creek is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) long.

Fun on the Water: Whitewater Kayaking

Rutherford Creek is home to a special place for whitewater kayaking. It's one of only two man-made whitewater courses in all of Canada! The other one is in Ottawa.

How the Course Was Built

This exciting course was created as part of a power plant project. It was a team effort involving Rutherford Creek Power Ltd., the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, the BC Whitewater Kayaking Association, and the Pemberton Snowmobile Club.

The course is a special channel designed for kayaking. It has things like weirs (small dams), big boulders, and baffle walls that make the water flow in exciting ways, perfect for kayakers to practice their skills. There are also anchor pads and even a classroom nearby for learning.

Making Electricity: The Hydroelectric Plant

The Rutherford Creek Power plant was built in 2004. It's a partnership between a few companies and the Lil'wat First Nation. This plant uses the power of the creek's flowing water to make electricity.

How the Plant Works

The plant uses a long pipe, called a penstock, which is about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) long. This pipe carries water from the creek down to a power house. Inside the power house, there are two large machines called pelton wheels. As the water rushes through, it spins these wheels, which then create electricity.

The Rutherford Creek plant sells the electricity it makes to BC Hydro, which is the main power company in British Columbia.

The Big Flood of 2003

In 2003, Rutherford Creek became the center of a big natural event. A weather system called a "Pineapple Express" brought a huge amount of rain to the area, more than ever recorded before.

What Happened During the Flood

To make things worse, the weather was warm enough that the rain caused the Pemberton Icefield to start melting very quickly. Since Rutherford Creek is one of the main streams flowing from this icefield, a massive amount of water rushed down the creek. This powerful torrent of water was so strong that it washed away the bridges used by BC Highway 99 and the BC Rail train line that crossed the creek. It was a big challenge for the local communities.