Stave River facts for kids

The Stave River is a river in British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Fraser River at the border between Maple Ridge and Mission. This spot is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Vancouver.

Most of the Stave River is no longer free-flowing. Since the 1920s, two large dams have blocked its path. These dams are at Stave Falls and Ruskin. Today, only two parts of the river flow freely. One part is 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long, from the Ruskin Dam to the Fraser River. The other part is 45 kilometers (28 miles) long, from its source in Garibaldi Provincial Park to the start of Stave Lake. Before these dams were built, the river was about 85 kilometers (53 miles) long.

River's Story: How the Stave River Got Its Name

The Stave River got its name around 1828. Workers from the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Langley named it. They liked the forests along the river's banks. These trees were perfect for making "staves." Staves are the wooden strips used to build barrels. These barrels were important for shipping fish to other places.

River's Surroundings: Exploring the Stave Valley

The lower part of the Stave River valley covers more than half of the area of Mission. Most of this land is still covered by mountains and forests. The land in the lower valley is gently sloped and hilly. You can find very old forests and new forests with deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves).

Small farms, mostly pastures for animals, are found in areas like Silverhill, Silverdale, and Stave Gardens. The Stave River's delta used to be an oxbow lake. An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake formed when a river changes course. This area was partly drained and protected by dikes to create Silvermere Lake. This was part of a housing development from the 1950s. The island in the middle of the old oxbow lake was turned into a hill. The person who built the development built their home there. Today, it is a training center for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The water in the lower Stave River is affected by tides. The Fraser River has a "tidal bore," which is a wave that travels upriver with the tide. This wave reaches Mission City. During the spring, when the Fraser River has a lot of water from melting snow, its strong flow can block the Stave River. This causes the Stave River to back up and form a lake between the Fraser River and the Ruskin Dam.

North of Stave Lake, the Stave River valley becomes very mountainous. This area has some of the roughest land and heaviest rainfall in the province. It is very hard to get to these parts. High mountains like Mount Judge Howay (2,262 meters or 7,421 feet) and Mount Robie Reid (2,095 meters or 6,873 feet) overlook Stave Lake. Nearby are Robertson Peak (2,252 meters or 7,388 feet) and many other tall peaks. The upper Stave River basin is part of Garibaldi Provincial Park. Next to it is the Judge Howay Provincial Recreation Area. This area is meant for recreation, but it is very hard to reach unless you are an experienced mountain climber.

River Life: Fish in the Stave River

The original salmon runs in the Stave River were greatly impacted when the dams were built. However, the lower parts of the river are still popular with people who like to fish. They often come to catch steelhead trout.

The company that manages the dams has worked with the Canadian government's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. They have tried to fix the gravel beds and channels below the Ruskin Dam. This was done to help the salmon. But these efforts have only helped a little compared to how many salmon used to swim up the river. Stave Lake and Hayward Lake have a type of salmon called kokanee. They also have other fish like trout. Sometimes, these lakes are stocked with fish to help their populations.

River's Work: Industries and Power

The Stave River valley has been used for logging for a long time. Today, the only working sawmills are near the Fraser River at Ruskin. But you can still see the ruins of old mills along the western shore of the river. One large cedar shake mill used to be next to the Stave Falls dam.

Most of the mills on the Stave River focused on making shakes. Shakes are thick, split wooden tiles used for roofing or siding. Some of these mills were among the biggest producers of shakes in the world. The very north end of Stave Lake cannot be reached by road. The only ways to get there are by boat or by flying in a small plane to a bush airstrip.

River's Power: Hydroelectric Dams

The Stave River is important for making electricity. There are several hydroelectric power projects here:

• Stave Falls Dam was built in 1912.
• Ruskin Dam was built in 1930.
• The Alouette Dam was built in 1928. This dam is on the shore of Stave Lake. Water from Alouette Lake flows through a mountain tunnel to reach Stave Lake.

Further up the Stave River, beyond the north end of Stave Lake, there are two newer power projects. These are called "run-of-the-river" projects. This means they use the natural flow of the river to make electricity without needing a large dam.

• Lamont Creek (28 megawatts)
• Upper Stave River (33.5 megawatts)

Both of these were built in 2010 by a private company called Cloudworks Energy Inc. This company works under special laws in British Columbia that guarantee they can sell the electricity they produce to BC Hydro, the main power company.