Salmon Inlet facts for kids
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Salmon Inlet, once called Salmon Arm, is a long, narrow arm of the sea. It's a type of fjord, which is a deep, U-shaped valley carved by glaciers and then filled with ocean water. Salmon Inlet branches off to the east from Sechelt Inlet in the beautiful province of British Columbia, Canada.
This inlet is like a long finger of water reaching inland. It has a neighboring inlet called Narrows Inlet, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the north.
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What is Salmon Inlet?
Salmon Inlet is a natural waterway located in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for its stunning natural beauty and its connection to the larger Sechelt Inlet. This area is part of the Sunshine Coast region, famous for its rugged coastline and forests.
Where is Salmon Inlet Located?
Salmon Inlet is found on the west coast of Canada. It is a part of the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia) area. The inlet stretches inland from the main Sechelt Inlet, creating a unique landscape of water surrounded by mountains and trees.
Rivers and Lakes Connected to Salmon Inlet
Several waterways flow into Salmon Inlet. Two natural streams, Misery Creek and Sechelt Creek, empty directly into the inlet. There is also the Clowhom River, which flows into the inlet from a human-made lake called Clowhom Lake. This lake was created as part of a small project to generate electricity using water power.
The main part of Salmon Inlet is about 23 kilometers (14 miles) long. Clowhom Lake adds another 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to this system. It stretches towards the base of Mount Tantalus. Mount Tantalus is a well-known peak often seen from the town of Squamish and the Cheakamus Canyon area along British Columbia Highway 99.
How the Inlet Was Formed
Like many fjords, Salmon Inlet was shaped over thousands of years by powerful glaciers. These huge sheets of ice moved across the land, carving out deep valleys. When the glaciers melted, the ocean water filled these valleys, creating the long, narrow inlets we see today.
The inlet's landscape has also been changed by human activities. In the past, activities like logging (cutting down trees) and milling (processing wood) took place in the area. These activities have left their mark on the surrounding environment. An interesting feature of the inlet is an alluvial fan that spreads out from the mouth of Sechelt Creek. An alluvial fan is a triangle-shaped deposit of sand, gravel, and silt that forms where a stream flows out of a mountain valley onto a flatter plain. This fan almost divides Salmon Inlet into two parts.
