DOCSLIB.ORG

River Valley, Southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia Fluvial

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
River Valley, Southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia Fluvial Geological Society, London, Special Publications Fluvial response to Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Nostetuko River valley, southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia Kenna Wilkie and John J. Clague Geological Society, London, Special Publications 2009; v. 320; p. 199-218 doi:10.1144/SP320.13 Email alerting click here to receive free email alerts when new articles cite this service article Permission click here to seek permission to re-use all or part of this article request Subscribe click here to subscribe to Geological Society, London, Special Publications or the Lyell Collection Notes Downloaded by University of Alberta on 28 August 2009 © 2009 Geological Society of London Fluvial response to Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Nostetuko River valley, southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia KENNA WILKIE & JOHN J. CLAGUE* Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 *Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract: Mountain rivers, like alpine glaciers, are sensitive indicators of climate change. Some rivers may provide a more complete record of Holocene climate change than the glaciers in their headwaters. We illustrate these points by examining the record preserved in the upper part of the alluvial fill in the Nostetuko River valley in the southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia (Canada). Glacier advances in the upper part of the watershed triggered valley-wide aggradation and complex changes in river planform. Periods when glaciers were restricted in extent coincide with periods of incision of the valley fill and floodplain stability. As many as 10 overbank aggradation units are separated by peat layers containing tree roots and stems in growth position. Twenty-five radiocarbon ages on roots, tree stems and woody plant detritus in several of the peat layers closely delimit periods of aggradation. The oldest phase of aggradation occurred about 6500 years BP and coincides with the Garibaldi Advance documented elsewhere in the southern Coast Mountains. A second phase of aggradation, recorded by several units of clastic sediment, dates to about 2500 years BP, near the peak of the middle Neoglacial Tiedemann Advance. The third phase occurred shortly after 1400 years BP during or shortly after the First Millennium Advance, which has been recently documented in coastal British Columbia and Alaska. The most recent phase of aggradation began about 800 years BP and continued until recently. It coincides with the Little Ice Age, when glaciers in the Nostetuko River basin and elsewhere in the southern Coast Mountains attained their greatest Holocene size. Several periods of peat deposition during the Little Ice Age indicate periods of floodplain stability separated by brief inter- vals of floodplain aggradation that coincide with Little Ice Age glacier advances in western Canada. The results imply that the west fork of Nostetuko River is sensitive to upvalley glacier fluctuations and, indirectly, to relatively minor changes in climate. The proglacial fluvial archive is a largely unexp- subsequently radiocarbon dated. We show that loited source of information on upvalley glacier sediment supply is intimately linked to fluctuations fluctuations. Streams may respond to fluctuations of glaciers at the head of the valley. Radiocarbon of glaciers in their headwaters by aggrading up or ages on stumps at the tops of the peat layers incising their floodplains. The resulting changes closely constrain times of glacier advances within in local base level can be preserved in the valley- the watershed. These times agree with those deter- fill stratigraphy. Although potentially difficult to mined independently by other researchers working decipher, valley-fill stratigraphies may be more elsewhere in western North America. complete than the record of glacier fluctuations derived from landforms and sediments the forefields Study area themselves. At the very least, they complement and strengthen the glacier forefield evidence. The study area is the valley of the west fork of This paper documents the response of the west Nostetuko River in the southern Coast Mountains fork of the Nostetuko River valley, located in the of British Columbia, 220 km north of Vancouver southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia (Fig. 1). The west fork flows 11 km north and east (Canada), to changes in sediment supply during from its source to the main stem of Nostetuko Neoglaciation – the last half of the Holocene. We River (Fig. 2). It is fed mainly by meltwater from have two objectives: first, to add to the knowledge valley glaciers at the edge of Homathko Icefield. of Holocene glacier fluctuations in British A major tributary of the west fork flows from Columbia; and second, and more generally, to Queen Bess Lake, a moraine-dammed lake that demonstrate the potential of fluvial archives for partially drained during an outburst flood in deciphering past alpine glacier activity. Field August 1997 (Kershaw 2002; Kershaw et al. 2004). inspection of the upper part of the sediment fill Queen Bess Lake is impounded by a large com- revealed a series of clastic sediment units interstra- posite moraine produced by at least two advances of tified with peats containing rooted stumps that were Diadem Glacier (Kershaw 2002). The lake formed From:KNIGHT,J.&HARRISON, S. (eds) Periglacial and Paraglacial Processes and Environments. The Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 320, 199–218. DOI: 10.1144/SP320.13 0305-8719/09/$15.00 # The Geological Society Publishing House 2009. 200 K. WILKIE & J. J. CLAGUE Fig. 1. Location of the study area in the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia (modified from BMGS data; reproduced with permission of the Province of British Columbia). behind the composite moraine during glacier retreat of sections. Fieldwork was conducted during the in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1997, a large ice summer of 2004. Detailed topographic maps avalanche fell from the toe of Diadem Glacier into (1:5000 scale), constructed from aerial photographs Queen Bess Lake, generating displacement waves flown in 1998 – one year after the outburst flood – that overtopped and incised the moraine. The result- were used to map deposits and landforms. Locations ing flood eroded sediments in the valley below the of sections, terraces, trimmed colluvial fans and tree dam, causing aggradation upstream and down- stumps exhumed by river incision were located stream of channel constrictions (Fig. 2). It also (+10 m) using a hand-held GPS unit and cross- created exposures of the upper part of the valley referenced with the topographic maps. These data fill, which enabled this study. were subsequently entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS). Methods Detailed sedimentological and stratigraphic logs were made of exposed valley-fill sediments at seven The aggradation history of the west fork of Noste- sites (Fig. 2), and additional observations of sedi- tuko River was determined through stratigraphic, ments and landforms were made at many other sedimentological and geochronological analyses locations. Sections were logged using a metric FLUVIAL RESPONSE TO GLACIER FLUCTUATION 201 sand paper. Annual tree-ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.001 mm along up to four radii for each tree sample using a Velmex-type measuring stage, a Leitz stereomicroscope and the Measure J2X measuring program. Samples were cross-dated to establish floating chronologies by visually com- paring marker rings and by employing the statistical correlation and verification procedures within the ITRDBL (International Tree-Ring Data Bank Library) tree-ring dating software program COFECHA (Holmes 1999; Grissino-Mayer 2001). Segments that were not significantly correlated were re-measured and corrected to account for radial growth anomalies and missing or false rings. The age of the oldest living tree on a surface provides a minimum age for that surface, after cor- rections for local ecesis and sampling height have been applied (McCarthy et al. 1991; Wiles et al. 1999). Ecesis, defined as the time between surface stabilization and germination of the first seedling, has been shown to range from 1 to 100 years in the Pacific Northwest (Sigafoos & Hendricks 1969; Desloges & Ryder 1990; McCarthy et al. 1991; Smith et al. 1995; Wiles et al. 1999; Luckman 2000; Lewis & Smith 2004). Ecesis inter- vals of 1–4 years have been documented in the Coast Mountains at Tiedemann Glacier (Larocque & Smith 2003), and on Vancouver Island at Colonel Foster and Septimus glaciers (Lewis & Smith 2004). Seedlings growing on the floodplain scoured by the 1997 Queen Bess outburst flood were no more than 5 years old when we conducted fieldwork in 2004, suggesting that ecesis in the Fig. 2. Aerial photomosaic of the valley of the west fork west fork valley is 1–2 years. Two years were there- of Nostetuko River, showing locations of studied fore added to the outer ring ages of in situ stumps sections. The aerial photographs were flown in 1998, to correct for ecesis. 1 year after the outburst flood. Sampling height errors occur when annual growth rings are lost due to sampling above the root crown (McCarthy et al. 1991). Larocque & tape and a barometric altimeter (elevation accuracy Smith (2003) proposed a regional correction factor of +5 m). Recorded data included grain size of 1.35 cm year21 for subalpine fir seedlings on (field estimates), sorting, sedimentary structures, valley floors in the Mount Waddington area. This Munsell colour, unit thickness, the nature of unit correction was applied to all in situ stumps. contacts and fossil plant remains. Sampling height corrections cannot be applied to Samples of in situ tree stems, fossil roots and detrital logs. detrital plant fossils were collected from peat layers and rooting horizons, and submitted to Beta Analytic for conventional (radiometric) 14C analy- Results sis. Radiocarbon ages were calibrated using the Geomorphology software OxCal v. 4.0 (Bronk Ramsey 1995, 2001), which is based on the decadal data of Stuiver et al. The west fork of Nostetuko River flows through (1998).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mountain Goat Population Ecology and Habitat Use Along the Juneau Access Road Corridor, Alaska
    Final Wildlife Research Report, ADFG/DWC/WRR-2012-02 Mountain goat population ecology and habitat use along the Juneau Access road corridor, Alaska Kevin S. White, David P. Gregovich, Grey W. Pendleton, Neil L. Barten, Ryan Scott, Anthony Crupi and Doug N. Larsen ©2005 ADFG/photo by Kevin White May 2012 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Wildlife Conservation Final Wildlife Research Reports are fi nal reports detailing the objectives, methods, data collected and fi ndings of a particular research project undertaken by ADF&G Division of Wildlife Conservation staff and partners. They are written to provide broad access to information obtained through the project. While these are fi nal reports, further data analysis may result in future adjustments to the conclusions. Please contact the author(s) prior to citing material in these reports. These reports are professionally reviewed by research staff in the Division of Wildlife Conservation. They are provided a number for internal tracking purposes. This Wildlife Research Report was reviewed and approved for publication by Rod Flynn, Reseach Coodinator for Region 1, for the Division of Wildlife Conservation. Wildlife Research Reports are available from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Wildlife Conservation, PO Box 115526, Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526; phone (907) 465-4190; email: dfg.dwc.publications@ alaska.gov; website: www.adfg.alaska.gov. The report may also be accessed through most libraries, via interlibrary loan from the Alaska State Library or the Alaska Resources Library and Information Service (www.arlis.org). This document should be cited as: White, K. S., D.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 5: Canada
    156-164 U2 CH05 S1 TWIP-860976 3/22/04 10:49 PM Page 156 pter ha C 55 CanadaCanada Social Studies To learn more about Canada’s people Chapter Overview Visit The World and Its and places, view The World and Its People Web site at twip.glencoe.com and People Chapter 5 video. click on Chapter 5—Chapter Overviews to preview information about Canada. 156 156-164 U2 CH05 S1 TWIP-860976 3/22/04 10:49 PM Page 157 Compare-Contrast Make this foldable to help you analyze the similarities and differences between the landforms, climate, and cultures of northern and southern Canada. Step 1 Mark the midpoint of the side Step 2 Turn the paper and fold the edge of a sheet of paper. outside edges in to touch at the midpoint. Draw a mark at the midpoint. Step 3 Turn and label your foldable as shown. Northern Canada Southern Canada Reading and Writing As you read the chapter, collect and write information under the appropriate tab that will help you compare and contrast northern and southern Canada. Sharing a Border The boundary line between Canada and the United States forms the longest unprotected border in the world. Citizens of these countries have been allowed to travel freely across the border, which is symbolic of the free trade between these nations. ▼ ▼ Vancouver, British Columbia 156-164 U2 CH05 S1 TWIP-860976 3/22/04 10:50 PM Page 158 Guide to Reading Main Idea 11 A Resource-Rich Canada is a vast country with many landforms and resources.
    [Show full text]
  • British Columbia Coastal Range and the Chilkotins
    BRITISH COLUMBIA COASTAL RANGE AND THE CHILKOTINS The Coast Mountains of British Columbia are remote with limited accessibility by float plane, helicopter or boating up its deep inlets along the coast and hiking in. The mountains along British Columbia and SE Alaska intermix with the sea in a complex maze of fjords, with thousands of islands. It is a true wilderness where not exploited by logging and salmon farming pens. But there are some areas accessible from roads that can be explored, including west of Lillooet, the Chilcotins, and the Garibaldi Range. The Coast Mountains extend approximately 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) long from the southeastern boundaries are surrounded by the Fraser River and the Interior Plateau while its far northwestern edge is delimited by the Kelsall and Tatshenshini Rivers at the north end of the Alaska Panhandle, beyond which are the Saint Elias Mountains. The western mountain slopes are covered by dense temperate rainforest with heavily glaciated peaks and icefields that include Mt Waddington and Mt Silverthrone. Mount Waddington is the highest mountain of the Coast Mountains and the highest that lies entirely within British Columbia, located northeast of the head of Knight Inlet with an elevation of 4,019 metres (13,186 ft). The range along its eastern flanks tapers to the dry Interior Plateau and the boreal forests of the southern Chilkotins north to the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park. The mountain range's name derives from its proximity to the sea coast, and it is often referred to as the Coast Range. The range includes volcanic and non-volcanic mountains and the extensive ice fields of the Pacific and Boundary Ranges, and the northern end of the volcanic system known as the Cascade Volcanoes.
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Coast Range Expedition 2002
    Scottish Coast Range Expedition 2002 West Pillar, Mount Gilbert (Photo: Simon Richardson) Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The Team 3 3. Gurus, Climbing Literature and Maps 3 4. Climbing 4 5. Conclusion 6 6. Diary of Events 6 7. Expedition Accounts 7 8. Acknowledgments 7 Mt Raleigh, The Cleaver, Mt Gilbert (l-r) (aerial photograph from the west) (Photo: Bivouac.com) Page 2 1. Introduction The primary aim of the expedition was to climb a new line on the unclimbed, 3000’ south face of Mount Gilbert (3098m), situated in the Coast Range of British Columbia, Canada at Lat. 50° 52.0’N, Long. 124° 16.0’W. Secondary objectives included investigating a potential line on the west face of Mount Gilbert as well as other lines on adjacent mountains. 2. The Team Chris Cartwright 39 yr, British, Human Resource Professional Scottish Winter: Approx. 150 new routes, mostly Grade V and above with numerous Grade VII and harder. Highlights include Fubarbundy (VIII 7) on Liathach, Magic Bow Wall (VIII 8) on Sgurr an Fhidhleir, The Crack (VIII 8) on Ben Nevis, The Link Direct (VIII 7) on Lochnagar. Alps: Highlights include ascents of many summer classics plus first ascents of the South Pillar Freney Direct, Crystal Tripper on Aiguille Jardin and winter ascents including the Dru Couloir. Expeditions to Himalayas, Alaska and numerous trips rockclimbing throughout the world. Simon Richardson 43 yr, British, Petroleum Engineer. Scottish Winter: Approx 300 new routes (140 Grade V and harder, 30 Grade VII and harder). Highlights include first ascents of The Cardinal (VIII,8) Beinn a'Bhuird, The Crack (VIII,8) Ben Nevis, Magic Bow Wall (VIII,8) Sgurr an Fhidhleir, Redemption (VIII,7) Lochnagar.
    [Show full text]
  • REPORT Processes Controlling the Growth and Evolution Of
    REPORT Processes Controlling the Growth and Evolution of Continental Batholiths, Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada Terrace, British Columbia, Canada 12–17 August 2018 CONVENERS SUMMARY OF EXISTING DATA Harold Stowell, Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, The Coast Mountains batholith includes 170 to 45 Ma plutons Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487-0338, USA, [email protected] that vary from gabbro to leucogranite that intruded host rocks Margaret Rusmore, Dept. of Geology, Occidental College, from two composite terranes (e.g., Cecil et al., 2018). These rocks Los Angeles, California 90041, USA, [email protected] have provided stimulus for numerous geological research and Glenn Woodsworth, Geological Survey of Canada, Vancouver, mapping projects, including the pioneering maps produced by the British Columbia V6B 5J3, Canada, [email protected] Geological Survey of Canada, particularly by the late W.W. Hutchison (1982) and J.A. Roddick (1970). These maps delineated INTRODUCTION the fundamental contacts for the Coast Mountains batholith and This Thompson Field Forum brought together 27 geoscientists the tectonostratigraphic framework that the plutons intruded. The in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, to discuss the processes maps served as the foundation for decades of research, led chiefly responsible for production of batholiths in continental magmatic by Lincoln Hollister and Maria Crawford, who guided numerous arcs. The forum focused on how the existing petrologic, geo- projects with students, post-docs, and other colleagues. Their chronologic, and structural data for the Coast Mountains batholith work led to fundamental advances in knowledge of granulite can inform modern paradigms for batholith growth and magma metamorphism, crustal thickening during batholith growth, the genesis. Decades-old models based on a robust but limited dataset production of batholith melts, and collapse of thickened crust along the well-exposed Skeena River corridor between Terrace during the last stages of batholith growth.
    [Show full text]
  • CHILCOTIN CENTRAL COAST DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY APE LAKE Photo: Kari Medig
    CHILCOTIN CENTRAL COAST DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY APE LAKE Photo: Kari Medig DESTINATION BC Seppe Mommaerts MANAGER, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT Jody Young SENIOR PROJECT ADVISOR, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT [email protected] CARIBOO CHILCOTIN COAST TOURISM ASSOCIATION Amy Thacker CEO 250 392 2226 ext. 200 [email protected] Jolene Lammers DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR 250 392 2226 ext.209 [email protected] MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ARTS AND CULTURE Amber Mattock DIRECTOR, LEGISLATION AND DESTINATION BC GOVERNANCE 250 356 1489 [email protected] INDIGENOUS TOURISM ASSOCIATION OF BC 604 921 1070 [email protected] CHILCOTIN CENTRAL COAST | 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................1 6. A DISTINCTIVE DIRECTION ..........................................................30 a. Distinctive Destination for the Chilcotin Central Coast a. Vision b. Distinctive Direction for the Chilcotin Central Coast b. Goals c. Guiding Principles for Destination Development II. ACRONYMS ...........................................................................................5 d. Motivating Experiences 1. FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..............................7 e. Development Themes 2. INTRODUCING THE STRATEGY .....................................................9 7. STRATEGY AT A GLANCE ................................................................38 a. Program Vision and Goals 8. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES .................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Uvic Thesis Template
    Dendroclimatological and dendroglaciological investigations at Confederation and Franklin glaciers, central Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. by Bethany L. Coulthard B.A., Mount Allison University, 2007 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Department of Geography © Bethany Coulthard, 2009 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Dendroclimatological and dendroglaciological investigations at Confederation and Franklin glaciers, central Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. by Bethany L. Coulthard B.A., Mount Alison University, 2007 Supervisory Committee Dr. Dan J. Smith, (Department of Geography) Supervisor Dr. J. Gardner, (Department of Geography) Departmental Member Dr. T. Lacourse, (Department of Geography) Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Dan J. Smith, (Department of Geography) Supervisor Dr. J. Gardner, (Department of Geography) Departmental Member Dr. T. Lacourse, (Department of Geography) Departmental Member It has become increasingly clear that climate fluctuations during the Holocene interval were unusually frequent and rapid, and that our current understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of these oscillations is incomplete. Little paleoenvironmental research has been undertaken on the windward side of the central Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Very high annual orographic precipitation totals, moderate annual temperatures regulated by the Pacific Ocean, and extreme topographic features result in a complex suite of microclimate conditions in this largely unstudied area. Dendroclimatological investigations conducted on a steep south-facing slope near Confederation and Franklin glaciers suggest that both mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) trees at the site are limited by previous year mean and maximum summer temperatures.
    [Show full text]
  • Cc Step by Step Western Canada
    A CARTOGRAPHIC APPROACH You may wonder: how do I get from the unfinished map to the finished map? We like to approach this in a step-by-step method. This is a sensible way to proceed to help you get all the information you want shown on the map. It insures that the map is legible and neat. We always stress neatness to our students. We tell them that the map is not just for them, but for other people to see and read also. The following step-by-step method works well with all of our classroom maps. Try it with your students, and they will end up with a map they will be proud of! A Step-by-Step Guide to WESTERN CANADA To help you label and complete the maps in the CANADA CartoCraze unit, we have shown the activities for Western Canada broken down in the following series. This Step-by-step approach to the cartography of the maps can be applied to all the CartoCraze units. LABELING PLACES! Print neatly! For a good start, begin by labeling the Provinces: BRITISH COLUMBIA ALBERTA Next, label the capitals: Victoria Edmonton Add a few large cities: Calgary Vancouver Prince Rupert Add others, such as Medicine Hat You can also identify neighboring places, such as: UNITED STATES ALASKA Yukon Territory Northwest Territory Saskatchewan WATER AND MOUNTAINS Continue labeling and begin to color! For a good start, begin by labeling the bodies of water already on the map: PACIFIC OCEAN Lake Athabasca Fraser River North Saskatchewan River South Saskatchewan River Add other bodies of water, such as: Peace River Start adding color to the map.
    [Show full text]
  • Match the Names Below with Their Locations on the Map by Writing the Correct Letter in the Blank. ___1. Arctic Lowlands ___
    INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK P r e v i e w Match the names below with their locations on the map by writing the correct letter in the blank. Physical Features of Canada 70ºN 60º 80ºN 90ºW 70ºW 20ºW e cl N 70ºN 100ºW tic Cir 60ºN ARCTIC OCEA N c Ar 130ºW 120ºW 110ºW 20ºW Arctic Ci 170ºW rcle Baffin Bay 30ºW D 160ºW 150ºW YUKON TERRITORY NORTHERN REGION PA CIFI C OCEAN Whitehorse Great Bear Lake NORTHWEST Iqaluit 40ºW 140ºW TERRITORIES NUNAVUT L a b r a d o r S e a Great Slave PACIFIC REGION Lake NEWFOUNDLAND & G LABRADOR BRITISH Kuujjuaq COLUMBIA ºN F H u d s o n 50 Fort St. John Churchill Goose Bay R B a y 0 250 500 miles O ALBERTA MANITOBA 130ºW C K 50ºN Edmonton E Y 50ºW A 0 250 500 kilometers M PRAIRIE REGION QUEBEC ATLANTI C T REGION Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area S Lake Vancouver . Calgary PRINCE EDWARD projection Winnipeg 130W Victoria ONTARIO ISLAND SASKATCHEWAN CORE REGION Elevation C NOVA Quebec SCOTIA Feet Meters Winnipeg Halifax Montreal 40ºN Over 10,000 Over 3,050 Superior ke La B 5,001–10,000 1,526–3,050 N Ottawa NEW BRUNSWICK 2,001–5,000 611–1,525 n Lake Lake a Toronto ATLANTIC g i Huron Ontario 1,001–2,000 306–610 W h E c i M 0–1,000 0–305 OCEAN e ie S k Er a L. L 70ºW 60ºW WCA_ISN_07_Pre _____Canada 1. Arctic Lowlands First Proof TCI23 08 _____ 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Author's Personal Copy
    Author's personal copy Geomorphology 121 (2010) 197–205 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Geomorphology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/geomorph Dendrogeomorphic reconstruction of Little Ice Age paraglacial activity in the vicinity of the Homathko Icefield, British Columbia Coast Mountains, Canada Sarah J. Hart a, John J. Clague b, Dan J. Smith a,⁎ a University of Victoria Tree-Ring Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 3R4 b Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 article info abstract Article history: Moraine and glacier dams bordering the Homathko Icefield in the southern British Columbia Coast Received 10 August 2009 Mountains failed in the 1980s and 1990s, causing catastrophic downstream floods. The largest of the floods Received in revised form 11 April 2010 occurred in August 1997 and was caused by overtopping and rapid breaching of the moraine dam that Accepted 19 April 2010 impounds Queen Bess Lake. The floodwaters from Queen Bess Lake eroded Holocene-age sedimentary Available online 29 April 2010 deposits along the west fork of Nostetuko River and caused a steep rise in the hydrograph of Homathko River at the head of Bute Inlet, ∼115 km downstream. A field investigation of the eroded valley fill in 2008, Keywords: fi Dendrogeomorphology revealed multiple paraglacial valley- ll units, many of which are capped by in situ stumps and woody Homathko Icefield detritus. Dendrogeomorphological field techniques were employed to develop a chronology for the buried Coast Mountains forests. A regional tree-ring chronology spanning the interval CE 1572–2007 was constructed from living Paraglacial subalpine fir(Abies lasiocarpa) trees at seven sites in the southern Coast Mountains.
    [Show full text]
  • Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Regional Tourism Profile
    Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Regional Tourism Profile MAY 2017 OVERVIEW ABOUT THIS TOURISM REGION In 2014, tourism in British Columbia generated British Columbia’s most visited region covers 41,000 km2 of the province, is 18.9** overnight visits* and $9.2** billion in related ideally situated between the ocean and mountains offering a diverse range spending. The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains, one of world class cultural, recreational, natural and wildlife attractions, year- of six tourism regions in the province, represents round,. The population of the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains continues to 49% of provincial overnight visitation and 52% of grow and is characterised by a younger demographic than the province as a related spending. whole, with 57% aged 44 years or younger compared to the province average of 54%. This profile provides a general overview of the region and summarizes the latest data available % about overnight travellers visiting the Vancouver, Vancouver, Coast & % change 1 change 2015 Age groups 2015 Coast & Mountains. Mountains (2014-15) (2014- 15) TOP MARKETS FOR VANCOUVER, 1 COAST & MOUNTAINS Population 2,899,321 1% 0-19 years 21% 0% Population as % of 20-44 years British Columbia residents make up the largest 62% +0.14 points 36% 0% share of overnight visitation (48%), but a much BC lower share of spending (23%) compared to other Unemployment rate1 6% -0.2 points 45-64 years 28% 0% tourism regions. In addition, the region has the largest market share of Washington and Californian 65+ years 15% 0% travellers compared
    [Show full text]
  • Homathko River & Mosley Creek Watersheds
    Homathko River & Mosley Creek Watersheds Level 2 Fish Habitat & Riparian Assessment Procedure & Restoration Prescriptions Final Report G3 Consulting Ltd. Innovation & Excellence in Environmental Science Homathko River & Mosley Creek Watersheds LEVEL 2 FISH HABITAT & RIPARIAN ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE & RESTORATION PRESCRIPTIONS Final Report Prepared for: Tatlayoko Woodlot Association. Tatlayoko Lake, B.C. Submitted by: G3 Consulting Ltd. 1A-12880 Bathgate Way Richmond, BC V6V 1Z4 October 1999 Tatlayoko Woodlot Association Homathko/Mosley Level 2 FHAP & RAPP Final Report CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ________________________________________________ 1 1.1 Project Scope __________________________________________________________ 1 Target Species _________________________________________________________ 1 1.2 Study Area Description ___________________________________________________ 2 1.3 Land Use______________________________________________________________ 2 2.0 METHODOLOGY ______________________________________________ 3 2.1 Site Identification, Selection & Confirmation___________________________________ 3 2.2 Site Classification _______________________________________________________ 3 2.3 Restoration & Rehabilitation Options ________________________________________ 3 Stream Bank Stabilization ________________________________________________ 4 Restoration of Primary Fish Habitat _________________________________________ 4 Restoration of Secondary & Tertiary Fish Habitat ______________________________ 4 Restoration of Riparian Habitat ____________________________________________
    [Show full text]