The Brittain River is a river of the

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of the

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British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. It originates in the

Pacific Ranges , photo = Mount Garibaldi (50997016501).jpg , photo_size = 280px , photo_caption = Mount Garibaldi massif as seen from Squamish , map = , map_image = South BC-NW USA-relief PacificRanges.png , m ...

of the

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, and flows about southeast to the Pacific Ocean at the Princess Royal Reach of

Jervis Inlet , image = MtFWAir.jpg , image_size = 260px , pushpin_map=British Columbia , caption = Mount Frederick William & the "elbow" of the inlet , image_bathymetry = Carte simplifiée baie Jervis.svg , caption_bathymetry = Map of Jervis Inlet , locat ...

.Length calculated in

Google Earth Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...

using the path tool. Brittain River is within the ''swiya'' (world, "Territory") of the shíshálh people. Its shíshálh name is ''slhilhem''. The shíshálh consider the entire ''slhilhem'' watershed to be of extremely high cultural and spiritual value. It is home to numerous cultural resources and ceremonial, spiritual, legendary, and oral history sites. In addition, the river valley was a traditional travel route to Powell River. The river is named for Rowland Brittain, British Columbia's first patent attorney and owned land at the river's mouth in 1901–1902.

Course

Brittain River originates at Arctic Lake in the Pacific Ranges. It flows east through Doris Lake then turns south. It flows through a forested, mountainous, glaciated

U-shaped valley U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...

to Jervis Inlet. Its mouth is about northeast of the city of Powell River. About upstream from its mouth a waterfall, approximately 10–15 m high, blocks fish migration.

Natural history

Historically, Brittain River supported

anadromous Fish migration is mass relocation by fish from one area or body of water to another. Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousan ...

salmon and trout in its lower , and non-anadromous trout and char in its upper reaches. Anadromous fish populations include

coho The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientific species name is ...

, Chinook,

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, and

pink salmon Pink salmon or humpback salmon (''Oncorhynchus gorbuscha'') is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon. The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name for ...

, as well as

steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and N ...

and

cutthroat trout The cutthroat trout is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus '' Oncorhynchus'', it is one of the Pacific tro ...

. Non-anadromous fish include cutthroat and Dolly Varden. The river's watershed has a long history of heavy logging with associated wildfires, along with mineral exploration. This has significantly altered the aquatic habitats of the lower Brittain River. The shíshálh consider the river a good candidate for fishery and wildlife rehabilitation.

References

{{authority control Rivers of British Columbia Rivers of the Pacific Ranges New Westminster Land District

Course

Natural history

See also

References