Английская Википедия:Duncan River (British Columbia)

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Шаблон:Other uses Шаблон:Infobox river The Duncan River is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Entering the North Arm of Kootenay Lake, the river is a major tributary of the Kootenay River, which in turn flows into the Columbia River. The Selkirk Mountains lie to the west and the Purcell Mountains to the east.

Name origin

The earliest known mention of the river name was 1889 in honour of John (Jack) Duncan, a prospector and candidate for the colonial Legislative Council from the Kootenay Land District in 1866.

Duncan Lake

Duncan Lake is a man-made reservoir lake in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada, formed by Duncan Dam and about 45 km in length. It is fed by the Duncan River, which forms part of the boundary between the Selkirk Mountains to the west and the Purcell Mountains to the east. Below Duncan Dam is the head of Kootenay Lake.

Prior to inundation there was a lake of shorter length at the same location, also named Duncan Lake but also known as Upper Kootenay Lake or Upper Kootenai Lake. The name comes from the Duncan River's namesake, John "Jack" Duncan, prospector, who ran for election but did not win the Kootenay District seat on the colonial Legislative Council of British Columbia.

The lake, which divides the upper and lower parts of the river, takes its name from the latter. The lake was called Ecclesion by Father De Smet on his 1846 map, Upper Kootenay by Moberly around 1866 and Trutch in 1871, Upper Kootenai on government maps in 1890, and Howser by John Retallack and Duncan by Perry in 1893. The name Duncan had prevailed for the lake by 1912 and Howser for the community by 1905.

River traffic

Thousands of years ago, prior to reclamation by silting, the present mouth of Meadow Creek (about Шаблон:Convert up the Duncan River) was part of Kootenay Lake. First Nations have camped in this localityШаблон:Sfn each August to fish for kokanee salmon.Шаблон:Sfn

In 1889, Andrew Jardine, Jack Allen Jack MacDonald came by rowboat from Kootenay Lake as far north as Howser creek to prospect.Шаблон:Sfn By the early 1890s, various small craft were travelling northward between the timbered slopes bordering the turbulent, log-jammed river. The upper reaches of the upper river required a combination of canoeing and portage. The lower river could be bypassed by taking the trail north from Argenta to Duncan City (Howser), which by 1893 was a tent city near the foot of the lake housing prospectors waiting for the snow to melt and spring flooding to subside.

In 1897, the Idaho was the first steamboat to successfully navigate the lower river between the lakes. However, a steamer had to winch its way through the Cooper Creek rapids by anchoring a line to a tree on the shore.Шаблон:Sfn That summer, the Idaho carried prospectors and supplies on regular Шаблон:Convert runs into the upper river as far as a log jam.

After leaving Duncan City, the Idaho would travel about Шаблон:Convert north to Jubilee Point on the east shore, the headquarters of the Gold Hill Exploration and Development Co. The Matthews ranch was also on the peninsular. On the northern tip was a government assay office. In later decades, only the flagpole and rock fireplaces remained of the abandoned assay facilities, prior to flooding by the Duncan Dam reservoir, which changed the peninsular into an island.Шаблон:Sfn

The Шаблон:Convert packhorse trail from Argenta was more frequented than the lower river. Since 1896, the federal government had been clearing the lower river of obstructions to make it navigable for eight months of the year. By 1900, the clearing cost $3,000 annually.

In 1902, the steamer Argenta operated on the river as far north as the landing at Hall Creek. Healy's Landing, which was midway between Howser and Hall creeks,Шаблон:Sfn was the primary northern terminal for river traffic and the southern one for packhorses travelling Шаблон:Convert to Hall Creek.Шаблон:Sfn

Once the railway was built, the lower river was no longer kept clear by the government and became unnavigable for larger vessels. However, Howser farmers would raft their produce downriver.Шаблон:Sfn

The upper river was kept clear but was only navigable by small boats from May to early September, when the water was sufficiently high.

During the 1930s, logs were manoeuvred down the river from the upper Duncan to the sawmill at Howser.Шаблон:Sfn The forestry phone line, which was attached to trees, followed the east shore of the lake and river to McGuire Creek and then terminated at Healy.Шаблон:Sfn During 1930–1936, significant placer mining occurred around Hall Creek.Шаблон:Sfn At the time, people lobbied for a road from the foot of the lake up the east side of the river to Healy's Landing, where a trail extended to Hall Creek.

By 1940, the upper valley was largely deserted.Шаблон:Sfn The completion of the dam on the lower river in 1967 reduced the stagnant pools where mosquitoes bred, reducing the severe mosquito problem by 80 per cent.Шаблон:Sfn Although forest, wildlife habitat, and homes on lower ground were submerged, the reservoir became popular for fishing and boating.Шаблон:Sfn

Railways

In 1899, two railways were competing to grade northward from Kootenay Lake to Duncan City. The Great Northern Railway (GN) route ran from Argenta up the east side of the Duncan River, before crossing near the then foot of Duncan Lake. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) route was from Lardeau up the west side of the Lardeau River, before crossing to the east shore near Leblanc (Marblehead).

CP surveyed the Howser Pass (immediately west of Howser) before GN. Allegedly, when CP blocked GN access to this pass, which is less than Шаблон:Convert wide for quarter of a mile, GN proceeded no farther north.Шаблон:Sfn Both railways had claimed their tracks would reach Duncan City by the fall. However, no tracklaying occurred in 1899 or 1900. By year end, the Шаблон:Convert GN bridge across the river was nearing completion.

In 1901, CP abandoned the grade from Marblehead to Duncan City. A new grade was constructed northward wholly along the Lardeau River, crossing the river parallel with Duncan City (Howser), but on the opposite side of the pass.Шаблон:Sfn The trestle pilings over Limey's Slough on the abandoned grade about Шаблон:Convert northeast of Marblehead remained until the dam was built.Шаблон:Sfn CP built a wagon road through the pass to connect Howser station on the west to Howser on the east.Шаблон:Sfn The new grade joined the old grade about Шаблон:Convert north of Howser station.Шаблон:Sfn Starting from Lardeau, CP finally laid track, reaching the second crossing at Gold Hill that November.

GN laid neither ties nor rail, leaving the rail grade abandoned by 1903. Fifty years later, thousands of rotted ties still remained stacked beside the grade.Шаблон:Sfn The former grade was converted to a wagon road. When a log jam burst on Hamill Creek in 1916, washing out the rail bridge and changing the course of the creek,Шаблон:Sfn the road was diverted around this location.Шаблон:Sfn

In 1920, CP replaced the bridge across the Lardeau about Шаблон:Convert south of the Howser train station.

In 1942, CP abandoned the line and the rail bed was adapted to become a public highway.Шаблон:Sfn

Course

The Duncan is about Шаблон:Convert long, flowing south along the Purcell TrenchШаблон:Sfn from the source near Mount Duncan at the southeast border of Glacier National Park.Шаблон:Sfn The drainage basin is over Шаблон:Convert.

Prior to enlargement by the dam, the lake was Шаблон:Convert long.Шаблон:Sfn The dam extended the lake about Шаблон:Convert southward, submerging largely an area of sloughs.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn During the annual filling of the reservoir, the lake stretches about Шаблон:Convert into the upper river.Шаблон:Sfn

A large number of small precipitous glacial streams flow into the upper riverШаблон:Sfn and some into the lower river. Except in winter and early spring, glacial silt clouds the water.Шаблон:Sfn The river supplies 75 per cent of the water entering the north end of Kootenay Lake.Шаблон:Sfn

Significant upper tributaries include Puddingbow, S.O.B., and B.B. creeks.Шаблон:Sfn Lake tributaries include Griz,Шаблон:Sfn North, Gallop, Little Glacier,Шаблон:Sfn Howser, Idaho, Maude, Labarie, and Tiger creeks (but the latter five are upper river at low water).Шаблон:Sfn Lower tributaries are Hamill,Шаблон:Sfn Cooper, Glacier,Шаблон:Sfn and MeadowШаблон:Sfn creeks.

The mouth was originally on the west side of Kootenay Lake rather than the present east side. Known as the big Argenta Slough, the channel was cut in the early 1890s as a shortcut to the river from Argenta.Шаблон:Sfn

Ferries and road bridges

In 1893, a ferry was established about Шаблон:Convert north of the Lardeau River mouth, where the trail north from Argenta crossed the river below the then Duncan Lake shore. The ferry remained in operation at least until 1899.

Near the Canning Rapids at the mouth of Glacier CreekШаблон:Sfn and about Шаблон:Convert south of the GN trestle bridge, a Шаблон:Convert road bridge, proposed in 1913, was unsuccessfully tendered. Retendered, the Canning Bridge was completed in 1914–15. A road bridge may have been previously constructed in 1908 in the vicinity.Шаблон:Sfn

E.W. Senff homesteaded near the mouth of Hamill Creek. In 1915, he installed a log Шаблон:Convert reaction ferry to carry his horses across the river and for public use.Шаблон:Sfn

The first bridge across the river was near Cooper CreekШаблон:Sfn (about Шаблон:Convert from the Duncan mouth), which existed until the mid-1920s. After its demise, a replacement was immediately sought. The remaining Canning Bridge provided access from Argenta to Howser and westward through the Howser Pass to Howser station. In 1930, a Шаблон:Convert Howe truss replaced this bridge. By 1941, a downstream vehicle ferry was sought, which would provide access to the west side of the Lardeau River.

At Cooper Creek, an unofficial rowboat service connected both sides of the river. A surplus Шаблон:Convert single-lane trestle bridge at Kokanee Creek was hauled to this site.Шаблон:Sfn The span and approaches were installed from late 1955 and the opening was May 1956.Шаблон:Sfn A week later, the spring high water carried log debris, which pounded the bridge pilings. To save the main span, a section of trestle approach was removed. In 1957, a surplus Howe truss was brought from Campbell River and a two-span crossing was erected.Шаблон:Sfn That year, a second Howe truss replaced the earlier Canning one. In 1964, a loaded logging truck collapsed this bridge, which was replaced by a two-span Шаблон:Convert crossing that December. This bridge was removed not long after as part of the dam construction.Шаблон:Sfn In the late 1980s, the Cooper Creek bridge was replaced by one Шаблон:Convert downstream.Шаблон:Sfn

Maps

• Шаблон:Cite web
• Шаблон:Cite web
• Шаблон:Cite web
• Pre- and Post-dam map.Шаблон:Sfn

Discharge

Daily discharge tables 1963–2021.

See also

• List of rivers of British Columbia
• Columbia River Treaty

References

• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book