View source for Fraser River

{{short description|River in British Columbia, Canada}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Fraser River
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = Staulo,<ref>[[Salishan languages]] and [[Chinook Jargon]].  The [[Halkomelem]] form is {{Lang|hur|[[Sto:lo]]}}, used as the name of the people of the Fraser Valley stretch of the river.  "Staulo" is the anglicization used in the ''[[Kamloops Wawa]]'' lexicon of the [[Chinook Jargon]]</ref> {{Lang|crx|Lhtako}},<ref>[[Carrier language]]. {{Lang|crx|[[Lhtako]]}} is also used to mean the [[Dakelh]] people of the [[Quesnel, British Columbia|Quesnel]]/[[Cariboo|North Cariboo]] area</ref> Tacoutche Tesse,<ref>Indigenous name recorded by [[Alexander Mackenzie (explorer)|Alexander Mackenzie]] on expedition to find [[Columbia River]]’s headwaters; circa 18-?</ref> {{Lang|clc|ʔElhdaqox}},<ref>[[Chilcotin language|Tsilhqot'in]] name meaning [[Sturgeon]] ''(ʔElhdachogh)'' River ''(Yeqox)''</ref> {{Lang|hur|Sto:lo}}
| name_etymology     = [[Fur trade]]r and [[Exploration|explorer]] [[Simon Fraser (explorer)|Simon Fraser]]
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = FraserRiver.jpg
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = The Fraser River, from the grounds of [[Westminster Abbey (British Columbia)|Westminster Abbey]], above [[Hatzic, British Columbia|Hatzic]] in [[Mission, British Columbia]], looking upstream (E)
| map                = Fraser River Watershed.png
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = Fraser River watershed
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 
| pushpin_map_caption= 
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-caption=The Fraser River and its source
| mapframe-length_km=2100
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[Canada]]
| subdivision_type2  = Province
| subdivision_name2  = [[British Columbia]]
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = [[Regional district]]s
| subdivision_name4  = {{flatlist|
*[[Regional District of Fraser-Fort George|Fraser-Fort George]]
*[[Cariboo Regional District|Cariboo]]
*[[Thompson-Nicola Regional District|Thompson-Nicola]]
*[[Squamish-Lillooet Regional District|Squamish-Lillooet]]
*[[Fraser Valley Regional District|Fraser Valley]]
*[[Metro Vancouver Regional District|Metro Vancouver]]
}}
| subdivision_type5  = Cities
| subdivision_name5  = {{hlist|'''Upstream'''
*[[McBride, British Columbia|McBride]]
*[[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]]
*[[Quesnel, British Columbia|Quesnel]]
*[[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]]
}}
{{hlist|'''[[Fraser Valley Regional District|Fraser Valley]]'''
*[[Chilliwack, British Columbia|Chilliwack]]
*[[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]]
*[[Mission, British Columbia|Mission]]
}}
{{hlist|'''[[Metro Vancouver Regional District|Metro Vancouver]]'''
*[[Maple Ridge, British Columbia|Maple Ridge]]
*[[Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)|Township of Langley]]
*[[Pitt Meadows, British Columbia|Pitt Meadows]]
*[[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]
*[[Port Coquitlam, British Columbia|Port Coquitlam]]
*[[Coquitlam, British Columbia|Coquitlam]]
*[[New Westminster, British Columbia|New Westminster]]
*[[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]
*[[Burnaby, British Columbia|Burnaby]]
*[[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]]
*[[Vancouver]]
}}
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|1375|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref name="chrs">{{cite web|url=http://chrs.ca/the-rivers/fraser/|title=Fraser River Fact Sheet|access-date=December 2, 2016|publisher=Canadian Heritage Rivers System|archive-date=July 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712235817/http://chrs.ca/the-rivers/fraser/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= mouth (average and min); max at [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]]<ref>[http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/objectives/fraserkanaka/fraserkanaka.html#introduction Ambient Water Quality Assessment and Objectives for the Fraser River sub-basin from Kanaka Creek to the Mouth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041207/http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/objectives/fraserkanaka/fraserkanaka.html#introduction |date=March 4, 2016 }}, BC Ministry of Environment</ref><ref name=review/>
| discharge1_min     = {{convert|575|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|3475|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max     = {{convert|17000|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = [[Fraser Pass]]
| source1_location   = [[Mount Robson Provincial Park]], [[Canadian Rocky Mountains|Rocky Mountains]], British Columbia, Canada
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|52|37|41|N|118|25|50|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|2145|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = Fraser River Delta
| mouth_location     = Strait of Georgia, [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, Canada
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|49|10|40|N|123|12|45|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}}
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = {{convert|220000|km2|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = [[Bowron River]], [[Willow River (British Columbia)|Willow River]], [[Quesnel River]], [[Thompson River]], [[Coquihalla River]], [[Chilliwack River]], [[Sumas River]], [[Salmon River (Langley)|Salmon River (lower mainland)]]
| tributaries_right  = [[Morkill River]], [[McGregor River]], [[Salmon River (Fraser River)|Salmon River (interior)]], [[Nechako River]], [[West Road River|West Road (Blackwater) River]], [[Chilcotin River]], [[Bridge River]], [[Harrison River]], [[Stave River]], [[Pitt River]], [[Coquitlam River]]
| custom_label       = Protection status
| custom_data        = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Fraser River Delta
| designation1_date = 24 May 1982
| designation1_number = 243<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fraser River Delta|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/243|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
| extra              = 
}}
<!-- [[Image:Fraser River Watershed.png|thumb|450px|Fraser River watershed]] -->
The '''Fraser River''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|eɪ|z|ər}}) is the longest river within [[British Columbia]], Canada, rising at [[Fraser Pass]] near [[Blackrock Mountain (Canada)|Blackrock Mountain]] in the [[Rocky Mountains]] and flowing for {{convert|1375|km|mi}}, into the [[Strait of Georgia]] just south of the [[City of Vancouver]].<ref name="chrs"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=BC Geographical Names|url=https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/40586.html|access-date=June 2, 2019}}</ref> The river's annual discharge at its mouth is {{convert|112|km3|mi3}} or {{convert|3550|m3/s|cuft/s}}, and each year it discharges about 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean.<ref>Cannings, Richard and Sidney. British Columbia: A Natural History. p.41. Greystone Books. Vancouver. 1996</ref>

== Naming ==
The river is named after [[Simon Fraser (explorer)|Simon Fraser]], who led an expedition in 1808 on behalf of the [[North West Company]] from the site of present-day [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]] almost to the mouth of the river.
The river's name in the [[Halqemeylem]] (Upriver Halkomelem) language is '''{{Lang|hur|Sto:lo}}''', often seen archaically as '''Staulo''', and has been adopted by the Halkomelem-speaking peoples of the Lower Mainland as their collective name, {{Lang|hur|[[Sto:lo]]}}.  The river's name in the [[Dakelh language]] is '''{{Lang|crx|Lhtakoh}}'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ydli.org/dakinfo/DakelhPlacenames.html|title=Dakleh Placenames|website=www.ydli.org}}</ref> The [[Chilcotin language|''Tsilhqot'in'']] name for the river, not dissimilar to the ''Dakelh'' name, is '''{{Lang|clc|ʔElhdaqox}}''', meaning [[Sturgeon]] ''({{Lang|clc|ʔElhda-chugh}})'' River ''({{Lang|clc|Yeqox}})''.

==Course==
[[File:Fraser River Basin Map.jpg|thumb|upright|Fraser River drainage basin]]
<!-- [[Image:Fraser River.jpg|thumb|250px|The Fraser River, near [[Mission, British Columbia]]]], taken from the gorunds of Christ the King Seminary -->

The Fraser drains a {{convert|220000|km2|mi2|adj=on}} area. Its source is a dripping spring at [[Fraser Pass]] in the [[Canadian Rockies|Canadian Rocky Mountains]] near the border with [[Alberta]]. The river then flows north to the [[Yellowhead Highway]] and west past [[Mount Robson]] to the [[Rocky Mountain Trench]] and the [[Robson Valley]] near [[Valemount]]. After running northwest past 54° north, it makes a sharp turn to the south at [[Giscome Portage]], meeting the [[Nechako River]] at the city of [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]], then continues south, progressively cutting deeper into the [[Fraser Plateau]] to form the [[Fraser Canyon]] from roughly the confluence of the [[Chilcotin River]], near the city of [[Williams Lake, British Columbia|Williams Lake]], southwards. It is joined by the [[Bridge River|Bridge]] and [[Seton River]]s at the town of [[Lillooet]], then by the [[Thompson River]] at [[Lytton, British Columbia|Lytton]], where it proceeds south until it is approximately {{convert|40|mi|km|order=flip}} north of the [[49th parallel north|49th parallel]], which is Canada's border with the [[United States]].

From Lytton southwards it runs through a progressively deeper canyon between the [[Lillooet Ranges]] of the [[Coast Mountains]] on its west and the [[Cascade Range]] on its east. [[Hell's Gate, British Columbia|Hell's Gate]], located immediately downstream of the town of [[Boston Bar, British Columbia|Boston Bar]], is a famous portion of the canyon where the walls narrow dramatically, forcing the entire volume of the river through a gap only 35 metres (115 feet) wide. An [[aerial tramway]] takes visitors out over the river. Hells Gate is visible from [[British Columbia Highway 1|Trans-Canada Highway 1]] about {{convert|2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} south of the tramway. Simon Fraser was forced to [[portage]] the gorge on his trip through the canyon in June 1808.

At [[Yale, British Columbia|Yale]], at the head of navigation on the river, the canyon opens up and the river widens, though without much adjoining lowland until [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]], where the river then turns west and southwest into the [[Fraser Valley]], a lush lowland valley, and runs past [[Chilliwack]] and the confluence of the [[Harrison River|Harrison]] and [[Sumas River]]s, bending northwest at [[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]] and [[Mission, British Columbia|Mission]].

The Fraser then flows past [[Maple Ridge, British Columbia|Maple Ridge]], [[Pitt Meadows]], [[Port Coquitlam]], and north [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]. It turns southwest again just east of [[New Westminster]], where it splits into the North Arm,<ref>{{Cite bcgnis|id=44913 |title=North Arm Fraser River}}</ref> which is the southern boundary of the City of [[Vancouver]], and the South Arm, which divides the City of [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]] from the [[Delta, British Columbia|City of Delta]] to the south. Richmond is on the largest island in the Fraser, [[Lulu Island]] and also on [[Sea Island (British Columbia)|Sea Island]], which is the location of [[Vancouver International Airport]], where the Middle Arm branches off to the south from the North Arm. The far eastern end of Lulu Island is named [[Queensborough, British Columbia|Queensborough]] and is part of the City of New Westminster. Also in the lowermost Fraser, among other smaller islands, is [[Annacis Island]], an important industrial and port area, which lies to the southeast of the eastern end of Lulu Island. Other notable islands in the lower Fraser are [[Barnston Island (British Columbia)|Barnston Island]], [[Matsqui Island]], [[Nicomen Island]] and [[Sea Bird Island (British Columbia)|Sea Bird Island]]. Other islands lie on the outer side of the estuary, most notably [[Westham Island]], a wildfowl preserve, and [[Iona Island (British Columbia)|Iona Island]], the location of the main sewage plant for the City of Vancouver.

The Fraser's [[river delta|delta]] empties into the [[Strait of Georgia]] between the mainland and [[Vancouver Island]]; the lands south of the City of [[Vancouver]], including the cities of [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]] and [[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]], sit on the flat [[flood plain]]. The islands of the delta include Iona Island, Sea Island, Lulu Island, Annacis Island, and a number of smaller islands. While the vast majority of the river's [[drainage basin]] lies within British Columbia, a small portion in the drainage basin lies across the international border in [[Washington (state)|Washington]] in the United States, namely the upper reaches of the tributary [[Vedder River|Chilliwack]] and Sumas rivers.  Most of lowland [[Whatcom County, Washington]] is part of the [[Fraser Lowland]] and was formed also by sediment deposited from the Fraser, though most of the county is not in the Fraser drainage basin.

Similar to the [[Columbia River Gorge]] east of [[Portland, Oregon]], the Fraser exploits a topographic cleft between two mountain ranges separating a more continental climate (in this case, that of the [[British Columbia Interior]]) from a milder climate near the coast. When an Arctic [[high-pressure area]] moves into the [[British Columbia]] Interior and a relatively [[low-pressure area]] builds over the general [[Puget Sound]] and Strait of Georgia region, the cold Arctic air accelerates southwest through the [[Fraser Canyon]]. These outflow winds can gust up to {{convert|60|to|80|mph|order=flip}} and have at times exceeded {{convert|100|mph|km/h|order=flip}}. Such winds frequently reach [[Bellingham, Washington|Bellingham]] and the [[San Juan Islands]], gaining strength over the open water of the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]].<ref name=mass>{{cite book |last= Mass |first= Cliff |title= The Weather of the Pacific Northwest |year= 2008 |publisher= [[University of Washington Press]] |isbn= 978-0-295-98847-4 |pages= 146–148}}</ref>

The estuary at the river's mouth is a site of hemispheric importance in the [[Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network]].<ref name="WHSRN">{{Cite web
|url=http://www.whsrn.org/site-profile/fraser-river-estuary
|title=Description
|publisher=[[Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network]]
|access-date=February 18, 2008}}</ref>

===Discharge===
The [[Water Survey of Canada]] currently operates 17 [[Stream gauge|gauge]] stations that measure [[Discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] and water level along the majority of the [[mainstem (hydrology)|mainstem]] from [[Red Pass (British Columbia)|Red Pass]] just downstream of [[Moose Lake (British Columbia)|Moose Lake]] in the [[Mount Robson Provincial Park]], to [[Steveston, British Columbia|Steveston]] in Vancouver at the river mouth.<ref name=guages>[https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/google_map/google_map_e.html?searchBy=p&province=BC&doSearch=Go Real-Time Hydrometric Data Map Search – Water Level and Flow – Environment Canada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> With an average flow at the mouth of about {{convert|3475|m3/s|ft3/s}},<ref name=fraserkanaka>{{cite web |url= http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/objectives/fraserkanaka/fraserkanaka.html |title= Ambient Water Quality Assessment and Objectives for the Fraser River Sub-basin from Kanaka Creek to the Mouth |publisher= British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Water Management Branch, Resource Quality Section |date= November 1985 |access-date= October 11, 2009 |archive-date= March 4, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041207/http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/objectives/fraserkanaka/fraserkanaka.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> the Fraser is the largest river by discharge flowing into the Pacific seaboard of Canada and the fifth largest in the country.<ref name=mrcmekong>{{cite web |title= Hydropower in the Fraser and Columbia Rivers |first= John W. |last= Ferguson |author2= Michael Healey |date= May 2009 |url= http://www.mrcmekong.org/Catch-Culture/vol15_1May09/Hydropower-fraser.htm |publisher= Mekong River Commission |work= Catch and Culture (newsletter) |access-date= October 11, 2009 |archive-date= February 15, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100215011119/http://www.mrcmekong.org/Catch-Culture/vol15_1May09/Hydropower-fraser.htm |url-status= dead }}</ref> The average flow is highly seasonal; summer discharge rates can be ten times larger than the flow during the winter.<ref name=mrcmekong/>

The Fraser's highest recorded flow, in June 1894, is estimated to have been {{convert|17000|m3/s|ft3/s}} at [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]]. It was calculated using high-water marks near the hydrometric station at Hope and various statistical methods. In 1948 the Fraser River Board adopted the estimate for the 1894 flood. It remains the value specified by regulatory agencies for all flood control work on the river.<ref name=review>{{cite web |title= Comprehensive Review of Fraser River at Hope: Flood Hydrology and Flows, Scoping Study Final Report |publisher= BC Ministry of Environment |date=October 2008 |url= http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/flood/pdfs_word/review_fraser_flood_flows_hope.pdf |access-date=October 11, 2009}}</ref> Further studies and hydraulic models have estimated the maximum discharge of the Fraser River, at Hope during the 1894 flood, as within a range of about {{convert|16000|to|18000|m3/s|ft3/s}}.<ref name=review/>

==History==
The [[Maris Pacifici]] map published in 1589 features on the west coast of North-America the first ever representation of two major coastline features: the delta of the Fraser River labeled ''"Baia de las isleas"'' and the mouth of the [[Columbia River]] identified as ''"Rio Grande"''. These rivers would therefore have been sighted by visitors long before official records would confirm. In spite of limited evidence of [[Francis Drake's circumnavigation|Francis Drake expedition]] whereabouts in the [[Pacific Northwest]], BC history commentator [[Sam Bawlf]] posited that the [[Abraham Ortelius|Ortelius]] map  was a proof that Drake sighted the mouth of the Fraser and came through the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]].<ref>Samuel Bawlf, The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake 1577-1580, Douglas & McIntyre, 2003, chapter 25</ref> 
[[File:Descent of Fraser River 1808.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''The Descent of the Fraser River, 1808'', by [[C.W. Jefferys]]]]
[[File:Fraser Pass.jpg|thumb|upright|Source of Fraser River at Fraser Pass]]

On June 14, 1792, the Spanish explorers [[Dionisio Alcalá Galiano]] and [[Cayetano Valdés y Flores|Cayetano Valdés]] entered and anchored in the North Arm of the Fraser River, becoming the first Europeans to officially find and enter it.<ref>{{cite book |last= Hayes |first= Derek |title= Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest: Maps of exploration and Discovery |year= 1999 |publisher= Sasquatch Books |isbn= 1-57061-215-3}}</ref> The existence of the river, but not its location, had been deduced during the 1791 voyage of [[José María Narváez]], under [[Francisco de Eliza]].

The upper reaches of the Fraser River were first explored by [[Sir Alexander Mackenzie]] in 1793, and fully traced by [[Simon Fraser (explorer)|Simon Fraser]] in 1808, who confirmed that it was not connected with the [[Columbia River]].

The lower Fraser was revisited in 1824 when the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] sent a crew across Puget Sound from its [[Fort Astoria|Fort George]] southern post on the [[Columbia River]]. The expedition was led by [[James McMillan (fur trader)|James McMillan]]. The Fraser was reached via the [[Nicomekl River]] and the [[Salmon River (Langley)|Salmon River]] reachable after a portage. Friendly tribes met earlier on by the Simon Fraser crew were reacquainted with. A trading post with agricultural potential was to be located.

By 1827, a crew was sent back via the mouth of the Fraser to build and operate the original [[Fort Langley National Historic Site|Fort Langley]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Maclachlan|first=Morag |title=Fort Langley Journals, 1827-30 |publisher=UBC Press |date=November 1, 2011 |page=23 |chapter=Journal Kept by George Barnston, 1827-8 |isbn=978-0774841979 }}</ref> McMillan also led the undertaking.
The trading post original location would soon become the first ever mixed ancestry and agricultural settlement in southern [[British Columbia]] on the Fraser (Sto:lo) river.<ref>[https://theorca.ca/visiting-pod/modest-beginnings/"Modest beginnings." "The Orca," February 2020]</ref>

In 1828 [[George Simpson (administrator)|George Simpson]] visited the river, mainly to examine [[Fort Langley National Historic Site|Fort Langley]] and determine whether it would be suitable as the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]'s main Pacific depot. Simpson had believed the Fraser River might be navigable throughout its length, even though Simon Fraser had described it as non-navigable. Simpson journeyed down the river and through the [[Fraser Canyon]] and afterwards wrote "I should consider the passage down, to be certain Death, in nine attempts out of Ten. I shall therefore no longer talk about it as a navigable stream". His trip down the river convinced him that Fort Langley could not replace [[Fort Vancouver]] as the company's main depot on the Pacific coast.<ref>{{cite book |last= Mackie |first= Richard Somerset |title= Trading Beyond the Mountains: The British Fur Trade on the Pacific 1793–1843 |year= 1997 |publisher= University of British Columbia (UBC) Press |location= Vancouver |isbn= 0-7748-0613-3 |pages= 58}}</ref>

Much of British Columbia's history has been bound to the Fraser, partly because it was the essential route between the Interior and the Lower Coast after the loss of the lands south of the 49th Parallel with the [[Oregon Treaty]] of 1846.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/Resources/rivers/tr_rivers_fraserRiver.asp|title=Fraser River|work=Canadian Council for Geographic Education|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050417222353/http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/Resources/rivers/tr_rivers_fraserRiver.asp|archive-date=April 17, 2005|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It was the site of its first recorded settlements of Aboriginal people (''see'' [[Musqueam]], {{Lang|hur|[[Sto:lo]]}}, [[St'at'imc]], [[Secwepemc]] and [[Nlaka'pamŭ]]), the site of the first European-Indigenous mixed ancestry settlement in southern British-Columbia (''see'' [[Fort Langley National Historic Site|Fort Langley]]), the route of multitudes of prospectors during the [[Fraser Canyon Gold Rush]] and the main vehicle of the province's early commerce and industry.

In 1998, the river was designated as a [[Canadian Heritage Rivers System|Canadian Heritage River]] for its natural and human heritage. It remains the longest river with that designation.<ref name="chrs"/>

==Uses==
[[File:FraseratFountain.jpg|thumb|The Fraser near the community of [[Fountain, British Columbia|Fountain]]]]
The Fraser is heavily exploited by human activities, especially in its lower reaches. Its banks are rich farmland, its water is used by [[pulp mill]]s, and a few dams on some tributaries provide [[hydroelectric power]]. The main flow of the Fraser has never been dammed partly because its high level of sediment flows would result in a short dam lifespan, but mostly because of strong opposition from fisheries and other environmental concerns. In 1858, the Fraser River and surrounding areas were occupied when the gold rush came to the Fraser Canyon and the Fraser River. It is also a popular fishing location for residents of the Lower Mainland.

The delta of the river, especially in the [[Boundary Bay]] area, is an important stopover location for [[bird migration|migrating]] [[shorebird]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/|title=Welcome|website=www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com}}</ref>

The [[Fraser Herald]], a regional position within the [[Canadian Heraldic Authority]], is named after the river.

==Fishing==
The Fraser River is known for the fishing of [[white sturgeon]], all five species of Pacific salmon ([[Chinook salmon|chinook]], [[coho]], [[Chum salmon|chum]], [[Pink salmon|pink]], [[Sockeye Salmon|sockeye]]), as well as [[steelhead trout]]. The Fraser River is also the largest producer of salmon in Canada.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lapointe |first1=Mike |last2=Cooke |first2=Steven J. |last3=Hinch |first3=Scott G. |last4=Farrell |first4=Anthony P. |last5=Jones |first5=Simon |last6=MacDonald |first6=Steve |last7=Patterson |first7=David |last8=Healey |first8=Michael C. |last9=Van Der Kraak |first9=Glen |date=2003 |title=Late-run sockeye salmon in the Fraser River, British Columbia are experiencing early upstream migration and unusually high rates of mortality: what is going on. |url=https://watershedwatch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Exh-72-NonRT.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, Vancouver, BC |volume=31 |pages=1–14}}</ref> A typical white sturgeon catch can average about {{convert|500|lb|kg}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rivermenrodandgunclub.com/sturgeon-weightage-chart.html|title=Sturgeon Weight/Age Chart|website=Rivermen Rod and Gun Club}}</ref>      
A white sturgeon weighing an estimated {{convert|1100|lb|kg|order=flip}} and measuring {{convert|12|ft|4|in|m|order=flip}} was caught and released on the Fraser River in July 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://greatriverfishing.com/world-record-sturgeon-fraser-river/|title=Giant 12 foot Sturgeon caught on Fraser River « Great River Fishing Adventures|website=greatriverfishing.com}}</ref>  In 2021, a white sturgeon was caught on the river weighing {{convert|890|lb|kg}}, with a length of {{convert|352|cm|ft|abbr=on}}.  It was estimated to be over 100 years old.  The fish was tagged and released.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/record-setting-sturgeon-snagged-on-fraser|title=Record sturgeon catch on Fraser River 'a lifetime moment' for ex-NHL goalie and friends|website=vancouversun}}</ref>

==Flooding==
The most significant Fraser river floods in recorded history occurred in 1894 and 1948.<ref>{{cite web |title=PHOTOS: Looking back at the floods of 1894 and 1948 in Chilliwack|publisher=The Chilliwack Progress|url=https://www.theprogress.com/community/photos-looking-back-at-the-floods-of-1894-and-1948-in-chilliwack/|date=14 June 2020|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=River flooding part of Hope history|publisher=Hope Standard|url=https://www.hopestandard.com/community/river-flooding-part-of-hope-history/|date=27 June 2012|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref>

===1894 flood===
{{Further information|1894 Fraser River flood}}[[File:The Chilliwack flood of 1894.jpg|thumb|alt=B&W photo of buildings in flood waters| The Chilliwack flood of 1894]]
After European settlement, the first disastrous flood in the [[Lower Mainland]] ([[Fraser Valley Regional District|Fraser Valley]] and [[Metro Vancouver Regional District|Metro Vancouver]]) occurred in 1894.<ref>{{cite web |title=Flooding events in Canada: British Columbia |publisher=Government of Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/quantity/floods/events-british-columbia.html|quote=The greatest Fraser River flood in the past century occurred in 1894, when the floodplain areas were in the very early stages of settlement and development.|date=2 December 2010|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=North Delta history: The historic floods of May|publisher=Surrey Now Leader|url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/home/north-delta-history-the-historic-floods-of-may/|quote=In May of 1894, the Fraser River had its largest recorded flood; Abbotsford and Chilliwack were particularly hard hit. North Delta lay above the flood waters, but farmers in South Westminster to the north and Ladner to the south faced weeks of their land and homes inundated with murky silt-laden water.|date=12 May 2019|access-date=29 November 2021|archive-date=November 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130011849/https://www.surreynowleader.com/home/north-delta-history-the-historic-floods-of-may/|url-status=dead}}</ref> With no protection against the rising waters of the Fraser River, Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver communities from Chilliwack downstream were inundated with water. In the 1894 floods, the water mark at Mission reached {{convert|25.75|ft|m|order=flip}}.

After the 1894 flood, a [[Levee|dyking]] system was constructed throughout the Fraser Valley. The dyking and drainage projects greatly improved the flood problems, but over time, the dykes were allowed to fall into disrepair and became overgrown with brush and trees. With some dykes constructed of a wooden frame, they gave way in 1948 in several locations, marking the second disastrous flood. Flooding since 1948 has been minor in comparison.

===1948 flood===
{{Main|Fraser River flood of 1948}}
1948 saw massive flooding in Chilliwack and other areas along the Fraser River.<ref>{{cite web |title=Flooding events in Canada: British Columbia |publisher=Government of Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/quantity/floods/events-british-columbia.html|quote=On June 10, 1948, the Fraser reached a peak elevation of 7.6 metres at Mission. Before the waters receded, over a dozen dyking systems had been breached and more than 22 000 hectares, nearly one third of the entire lower Fraser Valley floodplain area, had been flooded to this depth. The floodwaters severed the two transcontinental rail lines; inundated the Trans-Canada Highway; flooded urban areas such as Agassiz, Rosedale, and parts of Mission, forcing many industries to close or reduce production; and deposited a layer of silt, driftwood and other debris over the entire area.|date=2 December 2010|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref> The high-water mark at Mission rose to {{convert|24.7|ft|m|order=flip}}. The peak flow was about 15,600 cubic meters per second.

====Timeline====
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:1948 Hatzic Pumphouse Breach.jpeg|thumb|Breaching of the dyke at the Hatzic Pump House near [[Mission, British Columbia]], June 3, 1948]] -->
*On May 28, 1948, the Semiault Creek Dyke broke.
*On May 29, 1948, dykes near Glendale (now Cottonwood Corners) gave way and in four days, {{convert|12000|acre|km2|order=flip}} of fertile ground were under water.
*On June 1, 1948, the Cannor Dyke (east of Vedder Canal near Trans Canada Highway) broke and released tons of Fraser River water onto the Greendale area, destroying homes and fields.
*On June 3, 1948, the steamer ''[[Gladys (steamer)|Gladys]]'' supplied flood-stricken Chilliwack with tents and provisions as well as moving people and stock onto high ground.

====Causes====
Cool temperatures in March, April, and early May had delayed the melting of the heavy snowpack that had accumulated over the winter season. Several days of hot weather and warm rains over the holiday weekend in late May hastened the thawing of the snowpack. Rivers and streams quickly swelled with spring runoff, reaching heights surpassed only in 1894. Finally, the poorly maintained dyke systems failed to contain the water.

At the height of the 1948 flood, {{convert|50000|acre|km2|order=flip}} stood under water. Dykes broke at Agassiz, Chiliwack, Nicomen Island, Glen Valley and Matsqui. When the flood waters receded a month later, 16,000 people had been evacuated, with damages totaling $20&nbsp;million, about $225 million in 2020 dollars.

===1972 flood===
Major flooding occurred once again in 1972 due to a significant [[Freshet|spring freshet]], primarily impacting regions around [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]], [[Kamloops]], [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]] and [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Flooding events in Canada: British Columbia |publisher=Government of Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/quantity/floods/events-british-columbia.html#sub3|quote=On June 16, the lower Fraser peaked at Hope, with a maximum instantaneous flow of 3400 cubic metres per second and a maximum elevation of 7.1 metres, well above the danger level of 6.1 metres. Damage on the Fraser in 1972 amounted to $10 million ($36.9 million in 1998 dollars) and occurred mainly in the upstream communities of Prince George and Kamloops, and in the Surrey area of the lower Fraser Valley.|date=2 December 2010|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=River flooding part of Hope history|publisher=Hope Standard|url=https://www.hopestandard.com/community/river-flooding-part-of-hope-history/|quote=In 1972, the Fraser River again experienced record flood waters – the second highest in recorded times with a discharge of 12,900 cubic metres per second and a maximum height of 10.141 meters at Hope on June 16. Wardle Street and part of Seventh Avenue were submerged, and on Tom Berry Road 10 houses were flooded and families were forced to evacuate their properties. Pumps were brought in to remove water and residents were able to return home after approximately a week.|date=27 June 2012|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=North Delta history: The historic floods of May|publisher=Surrey Now Leader|url=https://www.surreynowleader.com/home/north-delta-history-the-historic-floods-of-may/|quote=When waters again rose in 1972, flood conditions were more reasonable controlled, with dykes, prediction and timely sandbagging. However, there was still $10 million of damage, mainly in Prince George and Surrey.|date=12 May 2019|access-date=29 November 2021|archive-date=November 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130011849/https://www.surreynowleader.com/home/north-delta-history-the-historic-floods-of-may/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fraser River Floodplain| date=December 11, 2019 |publisher=City of Surrey|url=https://www.surrey.ca/services-payments/water-drainage-sewer/flood-control/lowlands-floodplains/fraser-river-floodplain|quote=The area flooded again in 1972 and this is why in 1975 the South Westminster Dyking District transferred to Surrey under an agreement with the province to improve the existing dyke and flood protection systems.|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref>

===2007 flood===
Due to record snowpacks on the mountains in the Fraser River catch basin which began melting, combined with heavy rainfall, water levels on the Fraser River rose in 2007 to a level not reached since 1972.<ref>[http://www.pgfreepress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=26&cat=23&id=999153&more=0 River Water Still Rising] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006011303/http://www.pgfreepress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=26&cat=23&id=999153&more=0 |date=October 6, 2007 }}. ''Prince George Free Press'', June 6, 2006.</ref> Low-lying land in areas upriver such as [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]] suffered minor flooding. Evacuation alerts were given for the low-lying areas not protected by [[Dike (construction)|dikes]] in the [[Lower Mainland]].<ref>[http://www.langleytimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=47&cat=23&id=999195&more=0 Fraser flood alert imminent Mission gauge under close scrutiny, river likely to peak at 7.5 m by Saturday] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928160426/http://www.langleytimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=47&cat=23&id=999195&more=0 |date=September 28, 2007 }}. ''Langley Times'', June 6, 2007.</ref> However, the water levels did not breach the dikes, and major flooding was averted.

===2021 flood===
{{main|November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods}}
Major flooding occurred in November 2021 as part of the [[November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods]].

==Tributaries== <!-- This section is linked from redirect "[[Fraser River tributaries]]" -->
[[Image:FraserRiverNearLillooet.jpg|thumb|Fraser River in the Glen Fraser area, about {{convert|25|km}} upstream of [[Lillooet, British Columbia|Lillooet]]]]
[[File:Barber Island, British Columbia.jpg|thumb|right|An east-facing aerial view of [[Ladner, British Columbia|Ladner]] beyond [[Barber Island, British Columbia|Barber Island]], [[Duck Island, British Columbia|Duck Island]], [[Gunn Island]] and [[Port Guichon, British Columbia|Port Guichon]] in the Fraser River Estuary ]]
{{Main|List of tributaries of the Fraser River}}
Tributaries are listed from the mouth of the Fraser and going up river.

{{columns-list|
* [[Brunette River]]
* [[Coquitlam River]]
* [[Pitt River]]
* [[Stave River]]
* [[Kanaka Creek]]
* [[D'Herbomez Creek]]
* [[Norrish Creek]]
* [[Sumas River]]
* [[Harrison River]]
* [[Ruby Creek (Canada)|Ruby Creek]]
* [[Coquihalla River]]
* [[Emory Creek]]
* Spuzzum Creek 
* [[Anderson River (British Columbia)|Anderson River]]
* [[Nahatlatch River]]
* [[Thompson River]]
* [[Stein River]]
* [[Seton River]]
* [[Bridge River]]
* [[Churn Creek]]
* [[Chilcotin River]]
* [[Williams Lake River]]
* [[Quesnel River]]
* [[Cottonwood River (Fraser)|Cottonwood River]]
* [[West Road River]] (Blackwater River)
* [[Nechako River]]
* [[Salmon River (Fraser River)|Salmon River]]
* [[Willow River (British Columbia)|Willow River]]
* [[McGregor River]]
* [[Bowron River]]
* [[Torpy River]]
* [[Morkill River]] <!-- Joins at Loos -->
* [[Goat River (Fraser River)|Goat River]]
* [[Doré River]]
* [[Holmes River]]
* [[Castle Creek (Fraser)|Castle Creek]]
* [[Raush River]]
* [[Kiwa Creek]]
* [[Tete Creek]]
* [[McLennan River]]
* [[Swiftcurrent Creek (British Columbia)|Swiftcurrent Creek]]
* [[Robson River]]
* [[Moose River (British Columbia)|Moose River]]
}}
{{wide image|FraserRiverPanorama.jpg|1000px|alt=Fraser River as seen from the grounds of [[Westminster Abbey (British Columbia)|Westminster Abbey]], above [[Hatzic, British Columbia|Hatzic]] in [[Mission, British Columbia]]. [[Sumas Mountain (British Columbia)|Sumas Mountain]] in background.|Fraser River as seen from the grounds of [[Westminster Abbey (British Columbia)|Westminster Abbey]], above [[Hatzic]] in [[Mission, British Columbia]]. [[Sumas Mountain (British Columbia)|Sumas Mountain]] in background.}}

==See also==
* [[List of crossings of the Fraser River]]
* [[List of crossings of the Thompson River]]
* [[List of crossings of the Nechako River]]
* [[List of longest rivers of Canada]]
* [[French Bar Canyon]]
* [[Fraser Canyon]]
* [[List of rivers of British Columbia]]
* [[Moran Dam]] (proposal)
* [[Vanport, Oregon|Vanport Oregon flood May 30, 1948]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=The Untamed Fraser River|first=David S.|last=Boyer|magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]|pages=44–75|volume=170|issue=1|date=July 1986|issn=0027-9358|oclc=643483454}}
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=IZwlAAAAMAAJ ''The Fraser''], [[Bruce Hutchison]], 1950, classic work by noted BC editor and publisher

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/rivers/fraser.htm Map and photographs]

{{British Columbia hydrography}}
{{Canadian Heritage Rivers System}}
{{Vancouver landmarks}}
{{Ramsar sites in Canada}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fraser River| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Pacific Ranges]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Canadian Rockies]]
[[Category:Canadian Heritage Rivers]]
[[Category:Canadian Cascades]]
[[Category:Interior of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Landforms of Vancouver]]
[[Category:South Coast of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Drainage basins of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Canada]]
[[Category:Braided rivers]]