The Athabasca River (French: Rivière Athabasca) is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than 1,231 km (765 mi) before emptying into Lake Athabasca.[5] Much of the land along its banks is protected in national and provincial parks, and the river is designated a Canadian Heritage River for its historical and cultural importance. The scenic Athabasca Falls is located about 30 km (19 mi) upstream from Jasper.
The name Athabasca comes from the Woods Cree word ᐊᖬᐸᐢᑳᐤaðapaskāw, which means "[where] there are plants one after another",[6] likely a reference to the spotty vegetation along the river.[citation needed]
David Thompson and Thomas the Iroquois traveled through Athabasca Pass in 1811. In 1862, the Athabasca Springs area was crossed during the Cariboo Gold Rush by the Overlander Party.
The northern segment of the Athabasca River became part of a major shipping network in 1921 when the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway reached Waterways near Fort McMurray, making it the northernmost point on the North American railroad grid at that time. Cargo for destinations farther north was shipped to Waterways and transferred to barges, after which fleets of tugboats took them up the river to destinations in the Athabasca and Mackenzie River watersheds. Barge traffic declined after 1964 when Hay River, on the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, became the northern terminus of the rail grid.[10][11][12]
Environmental concerns
Owing to its proximity to the Athabasca oil sands, the river has seen significant amounts of energy infrastructure constructed along its course. On June 6, 1970, a pipeline operated by Great Canadian Oil Sands, the precursor to Suncor and the earliest commercial extraction operation, ruptured near the banks of the river. The total spill volume was estimated by Great Canadian Oil Sands at approximately 1,190 barrels (189 m3).[13][14]
In 2012, an independent study concluded that the Athabasca River contained elevated levels of pollution downstream of the Athabasca oil sands. Testing showed this portion of the river contained mercury, lead, and 11 other toxic elements.[15]
In 2021, another independent research was conducted on the streamflow and climate data sets for the Athabasca River Basin showing the seasonality of the streamflow and precipitation time series via wavelet analysis.[16] The seasonal components of these time series were shown to be coherent with phase discrepancy. The mean temperature had been gradually increasing since 1960, and it was projected to increase by approximately 2 °C during the mid-century, possibly reducing the snowpack volume during the spring.[16]
Coal mine spill
On October31, 2013, a pit at the Obed Mountain coal mine spilled, and between 600 million and a billion litres of slurry poured into Plante and Apetowun Creeks.[17] The plume of waste products then joined the Athabasca River, travelling downstream for a month before settling in Lake Athabasca near Fort Chipewyan, over 500 km (310 mi) away.[17]
Heritage
The river was designated a Canadian heritage river for its importance to the fur trade and the construction of railways and roads opening up the Canadian West, as well as for its natural heritage.[18]
^Environment Alberta. . Archived from the original on 16 January 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
^Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). "Athabasca River". from the original on 31 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
^"Atlas of Alberta Railways: The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway". University of Alberta. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
^ "Fort McMurray tourism". from the original on 2011-10-11.
^ "Radium King en route: Eldorado Subsidiary's Ship Leave for West by Train". Montreal Gazette. 1937-04-15. p. 20. Retrieved 2012-05-31. Both ships were built for the Northern Transportation Company, a subsidiary of Eldorado Gold Mines, Limited, and will ply the Mackenzie and Athabaska rivers, 1,600 miles north of Edmonton.
^Province of Alberta, Alberta Government Committee Report on Great Canadian Oil Sands Oil Spill to Athabasca River June 6, 1970, Edmonton: Alberta Government, 1970. Page 3.
^"Lake Athabasca oil slick broken by wind". The Leader-Post. June 17, 1970. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
^"Elevated levels of toxins found in Athabasca River". The Globe and Mail. August 23, 2012.
^ abGhaderpour, E.; Vujadinovic, T.; Hassan, Q. K. (2021). "Application of the Least-Squares Wavelet software in hydrology: Athabasca River Basin". Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. 36: 100847. doi:10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100847.
^ abWohlberg, Meagan (October 21, 2015). "Two Years Later, Charges Laid in Massive Alberta Coal Mine Spill". Vice News. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
Kelly, EN; Schindler, DW; Hodson, PV; Short, JW; Radmanovich, R; Nielsen, CC (September 2010). "Oil sands development contributes elements toxic at low concentrations to the Athabasca River and its tributaries". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107 (37): 16178–83. Bibcode:2010PNAS..10716178K. doi:10.1073/pnas.1008754107. PMC2941314. PMID 20805486.
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February 05, 2023
athabasca, river, french, rivière, athabasca, river, alberta, canada, which, originates, columbia, icefield, jasper, national, park, flows, more, than, before, emptying, into, lake, athabasca, much, land, along, banks, protected, national, provincial, parks, r. The Athabasca River French Riviere Athabasca is a river in Alberta Canada which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than 1 231 km 765 mi before emptying into Lake Athabasca 5 Much of the land along its banks is protected in national and provincial parks and the river is designated a Canadian Heritage River for its historical and cultural importance The scenic Athabasca Falls is located about 30 km 19 mi upstream from Jasper Athabasca RiverAthabasca River in Jasper National ParkAthabasca River watershed in western CanadaLocationCountryCanadaProvinceAlbertaPhysical characteristicsSourceColumbia Icefield locationJasper National Park coordinates52 10 4 N 117 25 50 W 52 16778 N 117 43056 W 52 16778 117 43056 elevation1 520 m 4 990 ft foot of glacier MouthLake Athabasca coordinates58 37 35 N 110 50 5 W 58 62639 N 110 83472 W 58 62639 110 83472 Coordinates 58 37 35 N 110 50 5 W 58 62639 N 110 83472 W 58 62639 110 83472 elevation205 m 673 ft Length1 231 km 765 mi 1 Basin size95 300 km2 36 800 sq mi 1 Discharge locationAthabasca Delta 2 average783 m3 s 27 700 cu ft s 2 minimum75 0 m3 s 2 650 cu ft s maximum4 790 m3 s 169 000 cu ft s 3 4 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Course 2 1 Tributaries 3 History 4 Environmental concerns 4 1 Coal mine spill 5 Heritage 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEtymology EditThe name Athabasca comes from the Woods Cree word ᐊᖬᐸᐢᑳᐤ adapaskaw which means where there are plants one after another 6 likely a reference to the spotty vegetation along the river citation needed Course EditThe Athabasca River originates in Jasper National Park in an unnamed lake at the toe of the Columbia Glacier 7 within the Columbia Icefield between Mount Columbia Snow Dome and the Winston Churchill Range at an elevation of approximately 1 600 metres 5 200 ft It travels 1 231 km 765 mi before draining into the Peace Athabasca Delta near Lake Athabasca south of Fort Chipewyan From there its waters flow north as Riviere des Rochers then join the Peace River to form the Slave River which empties into the Great Slave Lake and discharges through the Mackenzie River system into the Arctic Ocean The cumulative drainage area is 95 300 km2 36 800 sq mi 8 Athabasca River in Jasper National Park The river flows along icefields and through gorges offering wildlife habitat on its shores and in adjacent marshes Throughout its course it flows through or adjacent to numerous national and provincial parks including Jasper National Park Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park Hubert Lake Wildland Provincial Park La Biche River Wildland Provincial Park Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park Richardson River Dunes Wildland Provincial Park and Wood Buffalo National Park Its course is marked by rapids impeding navigation southwest of Fort McMurray 9 Numerous communities are located on the banks of the Athabasca River including Jasper Brule Entrance Hinton Whitecourt Fort Assiniboine Smith Athabasca Fort McMurray and Fort McKay Tributaries Edit Alberta s RockiesHabel Creek Warwick Creek Quincy Creek Chaba River Dragon Creek Sunwapta River Ranger Creek Fryatt Creek Lick Creek Geraldine Lakes Kerkeslin Creek Hardisty Creek Whirlpool River Astoria River Portal Creek Wabasso Creek Whistlers Creek Tekerra Creek Miette River Pyramid Lake Maligne River Garonne Creek Snaring River Morro Creek Cobblestone Creek Corral Creek Jacques Creek Rocky River Snake Indian River Mountain Creek Fiddle River Supply Creek Oldhouse Creek Prine Creek Maskuta Creek Central AlbertaHardisty Creek Fish Creek Cache Petotte Creek Tiecamp Creek Canyon Creek Ponoka Creek Plante Creek Apetowun Creek Obed Creek Oldman Creek Nosehill Creek Jackpine Creek Berland River Wildhay River Beaver Creek Marsh Head Creek Pine Creek Pass Creek Two Creek Windfall Creek Chickadee Creek Bessie Creek Stony Creek Sakwatamau River McLeod River Northern AlbertaFreeman River Timeu Creek Pembina River Lesser Slave River Lawrence Lake Creek Baptiste Lake Creek Tawatinaw River La Biche River Calling River McMillan Lake Creek Parallel Creek Pelican River House River Horse River Clearwater River Steepbank River Muskeg River Mackay River Ells River Firebag River Richardson RiverHistory EditFurther information Athabasca Country Sekani Shuswap Kootenay Salish Stoney and Cree tribes hunted and fished along the river prior to European colonization in the 18th century From about 1778 the Athabasca River the Clearwater River which enters the Athabasca River from the east at Fort McMurray and the Methye Portage were part of a primary fur trade route from the Mackenzie River to the Great Lakes see Canadian Canoe Routes early A Hudson s Bay Company scow in the Athabasca River c 1910 David Thompson and Thomas the Iroquois traveled through Athabasca Pass in 1811 In 1862 the Athabasca Springs area was crossed during the Cariboo Gold Rush by the Overlander Party The northern segment of the Athabasca River became part of a major shipping network in 1921 when the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway reached Waterways near Fort McMurray making it the northernmost point on the North American railroad grid at that time Cargo for destinations farther north was shipped to Waterways and transferred to barges after which fleets of tugboats took them up the river to destinations in the Athabasca and Mackenzie River watersheds Barge traffic declined after 1964 when Hay River on the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories became the northern terminus of the rail grid 10 11 12 Environmental concerns EditOwing to its proximity to the Athabasca oil sands the river has seen significant amounts of energy infrastructure constructed along its course On June 6 1970 a pipeline operated by Great Canadian Oil Sands the precursor to Suncor and the earliest commercial extraction operation ruptured near the banks of the river The total spill volume was estimated by Great Canadian Oil Sands at approximately 1 190 barrels 189 m3 13 14 In 2012 an independent study concluded that the Athabasca River contained elevated levels of pollution downstream of the Athabasca oil sands Testing showed this portion of the river contained mercury lead and 11 other toxic elements 15 In 2021 another independent research was conducted on the streamflow and climate data sets for the Athabasca River Basin showing the seasonality of the streamflow and precipitation time series via wavelet analysis 16 The seasonal components of these time series were shown to be coherent with phase discrepancy The mean temperature had been gradually increasing since 1960 and it was projected to increase by approximately 2 C during the mid century possibly reducing the snowpack volume during the spring 16 Coal mine spill Edit On October 31 2013 a pit at the Obed Mountain coal mine spilled and between 600 million and a billion litres of slurry poured into Plante and Apetowun Creeks 17 The plume of waste products then joined the Athabasca River travelling downstream for a month before settling in Lake Athabasca near Fort Chipewyan over 500 km 310 mi away 17 Heritage EditThe river was designated a Canadian heritage river for its importance to the fur trade and the construction of railways and roads opening up the Canadian West as well as for its natural heritage 18 The Canadian Heraldic Authority named the position of Athabaska Herald after the river Gallery Edit Athabasca River Valley seen from the Geraldine Lakes Flowing through the Athabasca Falls Passing by Jasper In Jasper National Park Athabasca River valley from the Pallisades fire lookout Athabasca River at the mouth of Brule Lake Dr Karl Clark and guide Romeo Eymundson on the bank of the Athabasca River Upstream from Whitecourt Bituminous sand banks north of Fort McMurray Athabasca River in July 2013 Athabasca River in Jasper Plaque overlooking the river in Jasper National Park 2015See also EditGeography of Alberta List of Alberta rivers List of longest rivers of CanadaReferences Edit a b Atlas of Canada Canadian Rivers Archived from the original on 2 February 2007 Retrieved 2007 01 16 a b Benke and Cushing p 845 Natural Resources Canada Canadian Geographical Names Athabasca River Retrieved 2014 08 29 Atlas of Canada Toporama Retrieved 2014 08 29 Ecology amp Wonder in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site Robert W Sandford AU Press ISBN 978 1 89742557 2 page 160 Bright William 2004 Native American Place Names of the United States Norman University of Oklahoma Press pg 52 Columbia Glacier Geographical Names Data Base Natural Resources Canada Retrieved 2019 03 25 Environment Alberta River Basins in Alberta Archived from the original on 16 January 2007 Retrieved 2007 01 16 Encyclopaedia Britannica 2006 Athabasca River Archived from the original on 31 August 2006 Retrieved 2006 09 12 Atlas of Alberta Railways The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway University of Alberta Retrieved 21 October 2017 Fort McMurray tourism Archived from the original on 2011 10 11 Radium King en route Eldorado Subsidiary s Ship Leave for West by Train Montreal Gazette 1937 04 15 p 20 Retrieved 2012 05 31 Both ships were built for the Northern Transportation Company a subsidiary of Eldorado Gold Mines Limited and will ply the Mackenzie and Athabaska rivers 1 600 miles north of Edmonton Province of Alberta Alberta Government Committee Report on Great Canadian Oil Sands Oil Spill to Athabasca River June 6 1970 Edmonton Alberta Government 1970 Page 3 Lake Athabasca oil slick broken by wind The Leader Post June 17 1970 Retrieved July 18 2014 Elevated levels of toxins found in Athabasca River The Globe and Mail August 23 2012 a b Ghaderpour E Vujadinovic T Hassan Q K 2021 Application of the Least Squares Wavelet software in hydrology Athabasca River Basin Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies 36 100847 doi 10 1016 j ejrh 2021 100847 a b Wohlberg Meagan October 21 2015 Two Years Later Charges Laid in Massive Alberta Coal Mine Spill Vice News Retrieved 17 February 2016 Canadian Heritage River System Athabasca River Archived from the original on 8 October 2006 Retrieved 2006 11 12 External links Edithttp www environment alberta ca apps OSEM Athabasca River Conditions and Use Government of Alberta http www ramp alberta org river aspx Alberta Environmental Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting Agency RAMP Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program Athabasca River Basin https web archive org web 20120414210651 http www chrs ca Rivers Athabasca Athabasca F e php Canadian Heritage Rivers System CHRS Athabasca River http arbri athabascau ca About the Athabasca River basin Index php About the Athabasca River Basin Athabasca River Basin Research Institute Kelly EN Schindler DW Hodson PV Short JW Radmanovich R Nielsen CC September 2010 Oil sands development contributes elements toxic at low concentrations to the Athabasca River and its tributaries Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107 37 16178 83 Bibcode 2010PNAS 10716178K doi 10 1073 pnas 1008754107 PMC 2941314 PMID 20805486 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