The Palliser River is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...
of the
Kootenay River in the
Canadian province of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
. It is part of the
Columbia River basin, as the Kootenay River is a tributary of the Columbia River.
The Palliser River is named in honor of
John Palliser, whose
Palliser Expedition explored the Canadian Rockies from 1857 to 1859.
Course
The Palliser River originates in
Height of the Rockies Provincial Park, in the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
on the west slopes of the
Continental Divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, no ...
. Its headwaters are located near Palliser Pass. The river flows south then west to join the Kootenay River. Albert River joins the Palliser River shortly before its confluence with the Kootenay River.
See also
*
List of British Columbia rivers
*
Tributaries of the Columbia River
References
Rivers of British Columbia
Tributaries of the Kootenay River
{{BritishColumbia-river-stub