Nanaimo River

Nanaimo River estuary

The Nanaimo River is a river on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located near the city of Nanaimo on the island's east coast.

History[]

Along the Nanaimo river, are the archaeological remains of five fall and winter Coast Salish villages. The villages are called Solachwan, Tewahlchin, Anuweenis, Kwalsiarwahl, and Ishihan.^[1] The villages were often occupied until April, in which the Coast Salish would then travel to Gabriola Island to hunt.^[2] The Nanaimo River was the lifeblood of the Coast Salish people living in modern-day Nanaimo.

Course[]

Nanaimo River canyon showing Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway bridge and road bridge

From its source in the mountains it flows east for most of its length then north into the south end of Nanaimo Harbour.^[3] The river has a notable canyon, which is the site of a bungee jumping operation and is also known as a rock-climbing area.

The total watershed area of the river is 95,000 hectares and the mainstem river channel is 56 kilometres long. There are over a dozen major tributaries and four major lakes in the watershed. The city of Nanaimo gets its water supply from the watershed.^[4]

The Nanaimo River supports pockets of old growth Douglas fir forest. The Douglas fir forests along the coast are one of the four most endangered ecosystems in all of Canada. The Nanaimo River is also regarded by anglers as one of the best steelhead rivers in the country.^[5]

Lakes[]

The river has two natural lakes, the Nanaimo Lakes, and several reservoirs used to generate hydroelectricity for the city of Nanaimo and for other uses.^[6]