Tyaughton Creek facts for kids
Tyaughton Creek, once called the Tyaughton River, is a 50-kilometer long stream in British Columbia. It flows into the Bridge River, which is part of a large lake called Carpenter Lake. This lake was created by the Terzaghi Dam, which helps make electricity.
Where Tyaughton Creek Flows
Tyaughton Creek starts high up at Tyoax Pass. This pass is a natural dividing line between the Bridge River area and the Big Creek area. Big Creek eventually flows into the Chilcotin River.
At first, Tyaughton Creek flows east. Then it turns south and southeast. As it flows, it carves out a deeper and deeper canyon. Just before it reaches Tyaughton Lake, it turns east-southeast. Tyaughton Lake is connected to the creek by a short stream.
The creek continues through its canyon, with Pearson Ridge on one side and Marshall Ridge on the other. Finally, it flows into Carpenter Lake. A road called BC Highway 40 crosses the creek where it meets the lake. Before Carpenter Lake was made, the creek flowed a bit differently, and an older road crossed it.
It's easy to get to Tyaughton Creek using smaller roads that run alongside it, especially upstream from Tyaughton Lake. However, between Tyaughton Lake and Carpenter Lake, the canyon walls are very steep. This makes it hard and sometimes dangerous to walk along the creek there.
Streams Joining Tyaughton Creek
Several smaller streams, called tributaries, flow into Tyaughton Creek. The main ones are Liza Creek, Eldorado Creek, Noaxe Creek, Mud Creek, and Relay Creek.
Tyaughton, Eldorado, and Relay Creeks all start in high mountain passes. These passes are near the edge of a special natural area called the Spruce Lake Protected Area. People have suggested different names for this protected area over the years, like the "South Chilcotin Provincial Park." In 2006, its status changed from a full park to a "protected area."
History of the Area
The name "Tyaughton" comes from a word in the Chilcotin language that means "jumping fish." You might also see the name spelled as Tyoax or Tyax. For example, the Tyax Mountain Lake Resort, a fancy hotel on Tyaughton Lake, uses the simpler "Tyax" name.
It's believed that Chief Hunter Jack gave the creek its name in the late 1800s. He was a chief of the Lakes Lillooet people, who are part of the St'at'imc First Nation. Today, his people are known as the Nequatque and Seton Lake First Nations. Hunter Jack was a famous hunting guide and was known as the "Hyas Tyee," which means "king" of the Bridge River Country.
Hunter Jack was also known for being very wealthy from gold. People believe he found a secret place where he could collect gold flakes from the riverbed, called a placer find. This secret spot is thought to be somewhere high up in Tyaughton Creek. He was known to keep other miners away from his special area.
It's interesting that Hunter Jack, a Lillooet chief, used a Chilcotin name for a lake in his territory. Other Chilcotin names are also found in the St'at'imc area, like the nearby Shulaps Range and the Yalakom River.
Hunter Jack was one of the few Lillooet people who could speak Chilcotin. It's said he learned the language to help end a long conflict over the rich hunting and food-gathering lands in the upper Bridge River area, which included Tyaughton Creek. This conflict is said to have ended in a place now called Graveyard Valley.
The colorful rocks and minerals in the Tyaughton Creek area caught the attention of early explorers. But even with lots of searching, no big mines have ever successfully operated there.
In the 1930s, the Bridge River Country was famous for both gold mining and hunting large animals. A guide and businessman named Charlie Cunningham, who lived in the gold mining town of Gold Bridge, had an idea. He wanted to protect the region north of Gun Creek and west of Tyaughton Creek as a wildlife preserve and a beautiful wilderness area. He even became one of the first people to film wildlife there.
Since then, there has been some disagreement about protecting this area. Mining companies often complain about rules that limit their work. They have been a big reason why the area hasn't become a full provincial park. Even though some of the area is now a provincial protected area, and nearby areas are provincial parks, people are still discussing exactly where the boundaries should be.
