The Twin River is a tributary of the Iskut River in the northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada.[1][7] From its source in Twin Glacier[8] the Twin River flows south for about 11 km (6.8 mi),[5] east of Hoodoo Mountain to the Iskut River north of the Craig River watershed. The Twin River's watershed covers 203 km2 (78 sq mi),[6] and its mean annual discharge is an estimated 16.7 m3/s (590 cu ft/s).[6] The river's watershed's land cover is classified as 77.2% snow/glacier, 9.8% barren, 4.5% conifer forest, and small amounts of other cover.[6]

Twin River
Twin River is located in British Columbia
Twin River
Mouth of Twin River
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictCassiar Land District
Physical characteristics
SourceTwin Glacier
 • locationBoundary Ranges
 • coordinates56°48′22″N 131°11′27″W / 56.80611°N 131.19083°W / 56.80611; -131.19083[3]
 • elevation590 m (1,940 ft)[4][2]
MouthIskut River
 • location
Boundary Ranges
 • coordinates
56°43′9″N 131°12′42″W / 56.71917°N 131.21167°W / 56.71917; -131.21167[1][2]
 • elevation
54 m (177 ft)[4]
Length11 km (6.8 mi)[5]
Basin size203 km2 (78 sq mi),[6]
Discharge 
 • average16.7 m3/s (590 cu ft/s)[6]
Basin features
Topo mapNTS 104B11 Craig River

The mouth of the Twin River is located about 77 km (48 mi) east-northeast of Wrangell, Alaska, about 114 km (71 mi) northwest of Stewart, British Columbia, and about 130 km (81 mi) south of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.

The Twin River is in the traditional territory of the Tlingit, specifically the Shtax'héen Ḵwáan, commonly known as the Stikine River people.[9][10] It is also in the asserted traditional territory of the Tahltan First Nation and Iskut First Nation, of the Tahltan people.[11]

Geography

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The Twin River originates from the meltwaters of Twin Glacier, a valley glacier that flows from the Andrei Icefield which dominates the mountains north of Twin River and from which numerous glaciers extend in all directions. This large glacial field is named after the son of Olav Mokievsky-Zubok, a glaciologist who carried out significant glaciological work in the Coast Mountains from the 1960s to the 1970s.[12]

From Twin Glacier the Twin River flows south through glacial meltwater lakes, then through a coastal western hemlock forest. About 3.5 km (2.2 mi) north of the Iskut River the Twin River is joined by its west fork tributary, flowing south from another lobe of Twin Glacier. This lobe surrounds the northwestern base of Hoodoo Mountain. About 6 km (3.7 mi) north the two lobes merge in the main body of Twin Glacier. Although the forks are similar in size and flow, Canadian NTS topographic maps and databases like BC Geographical Names identify the east fork as the Twin River while leaving the west fork unnamed. From the confluence of the two forks, the Twin River continues south through an increasingly braided channel before emptying into the Iskut River.[13][2][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Twin River". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ a b c "Toporama (on-line map and search)". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  3. ^ Derived from BCGNIS, ACME Mapper, topographic maps, and Toporama
  4. ^ a b Elevation derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, using GeoLocator, BCGNIS coordinates, and topographic maps.
  5. ^ a b Length measured using BCGNIS coordinates, topographic maps, and Toporama
  6. ^ a b c d e "Northwest Water Tool". BC Water Tool. GeoBC, Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Twin River". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  8. ^ "Twin Glacier". BC Geographical Names.
  9. ^ "Traditional Tlingit Country". San Francisco Tlingit & Haida Community Council. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  10. ^ Lindley, Britany Kee’ ya aa (2017). "Solution Before Pollution: Mining and International Transboundary Rivers in Southeast Alaska". American Indian Law Journal. 6 (1). Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  11. ^ Rescan Environmental Services (2012). "Tahltan Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Desk-based Research Report" (PDF). Seabridge Gold Inc. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  12. ^ Kargel, Jeffery S.; Leonard, Gregory J.; Wheate, Roger D.; Edwards, Benjamin (2014). "ASTER and DEM Change Assessment of Glaciers Near Hoodoo Mountain, British Columbia, Canada". Global Land Ice Measurements from Space. Springer Science+Business Media. pp. 353, 354, 355, 364, 365, 367, 371. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-79818-7_15. ISBN 3-662-50130-9.
  13. ^ "ACME Mapper 2.2". ACME Laboratories. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  14. ^ Mussio, Russell; Mussio, Wesley (2018). Northern BC Backroad Mapbook. Mussio Ventures. pp. 73, 88. ISBN 978-1-926806-87-7. Retrieved 20 September 2021.