Salmon River (Shuswap Lake) facts for kids

The Salmon River is a cool river found in the Shuswap area of British Columbia, Canada. It's known for its history with salmon, even though not as many swim there today.

Where Does the Salmon River Flow?

The Salmon River starts high up in the mountains between the cities of Kamloops and Kelowna. From there, it flows west to a place called Salmon Lake.

After leaving Salmon Lake, the river turns northeast. It then flows down into a wide valley near a town called Westwold. The river continues east, following the path of Highway 97, and passes by the town of Falkland. Finally, it turns north again through the Silver Creek area and empties into the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake at the town of Salmon Arm.

River's Hidden Flow

For several kilometers around Westwold, the river flows over a deep bed of gravel. This means you might not always see water on the surface! The water flows underground in this section, except during the spring freshet (when snow melts and water levels rise). This underground flow can make it tricky for fish trying to swim upstream.

Why is it Called the Salmon River?

The river got its name because of the many salmon that used to swim upstream to lay their eggs there. This was a common sight until 1914.

The Hell's Gate Slide

In 1914, a big rockslide happened at a narrow part of the Fraser River called Hell's Gate. This slide made it very hard for salmon to swim past and reach rivers like the Salmon River. Because of this event, the number of salmon returning to the Salmon River has been very small ever since. To help the fish, fishing for salmon in this river is now not allowed.

Images for kids

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  The Salmon River valley, near where it meets Shuswap Lake