The Fraser River in Canada: description, photo, interesting facts

Where is the Fraser River? Which cities are located on its shores? What is interesting and noteworthy? Our article will answer all these questions.

Fraser River: description and general information

Canada - a country of pristine forests, lakes with crystal clear water and beautiful rivers. One of the many watercourses flowing through its territory is the Fraser River. And our story is about her.

The river originates on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, within the Mount Robson Park. It is the main natural watercourse of British Columbia, one of the provinces of Canada. The Fraser River basin is located in the western part of the country. A small part of it (about 1%) is in the US.

The total length of the river reaches 1370 kilometers. First Fraser calmly and measuredly flows to the north-west along a winding and narrow course. At the city of Prince George, the river abruptly changes its direction to the south, after which it takes several deep-water tributaries. The speed of the current gradually increases, and the height of the banks reaches 80-100 meters in places. In the middle reaches, Fraser enters a rather deep canyon. In the lower reaches, the river sharply turns to the west and flows into the strait of Georgia, forming a vast delta.

Frazier replenishes mainly with rain and meltwater. Flood lasts from May to September. The river brings to the Pacific an enormous amount of solid deposits (up to 20 million tons per year).

The river and its banks were studied in detail in the early 19th century by a Canadian traveler and merchant Simon Fraser. His name was later named this watercourse. On the banks of the Fraser River there are a number of cities: Prince George, Kvesnel, Hope, Chillivac, Abbotsford, Vancouver and Richmond.

Canyon in British Columbia

In the middle reaches, the river valley of Fraser is as picturesque as possible. It is here that nature formed the most beautiful canyon.

Near the Fraser Canyon are the Trans-Canadian Highway and the Pacific Railway. These major transport routes of the country are "inscribed" in the rocky walls of the canyon, which crosses bridges in many places.

In the vicinity of the town of Boston-Bar, the banks of the river valley Fraser reach a height of thousands of meters! This section of the canyon received the exotic name "Hell Gate". Most likely, this nickname appeared due to local rocks, which turn black during each abundant rain. Today, there are lifts, delivering numerous tourists to the foot of the Hell's Gate.

Features of fishing

This river is very respected and loved by fishermen. Why? An eloquent answer you can see in the next photo.

The Fraser River is one of the most popular fishing places in Canada. Its ichthyofauna is extraordinarily rich and diverse. Between July and November, the rivers are literally full of salmon. The weight of individual fish reaches 40 kg! Researchers claim that in no other watercourse in America there is as much salmon as in the Fraser River.

Another of its inhabitants is a white sturgeon. This is the largest fish that can be caught with a rod. The length of her body reaches 5-6 meters. The population of white sturgeon in the waters of Fraser is large and stable. The ideal time for him to catch is autumn (September-November).