| Feature Type: | River - Watercourse of variable size, which has tributaries and flows into a body of water or a larger watercourse. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | Flows S through Elkford, Sparwood & Fernie, then SW into Lake Koocanusa, Kootenay Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 49°10'43"N, 115°10'12"W at the approximate mouth of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 82G/3 |
| Related Maps: |
82G/10
82G/11
82G/15
82G/3
82G/6
82J/10
82J/11
82J/2
82J/7
|
|
|
Origin Notes and History:
|
Elk River adopted in the 2nd Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 30 June 1900, as labelled on Palliser's Expedition Map 1857-58. Originally described as "tributary to Kootenay River". Re-approved 2 December 1948 on Columbia River Basin manuscript 51, and description subsequently changed to "tributary to Lake Koocanusa". Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
|
On his second journey, 1811, David Thompson crossed the Athabasca Pass and followed a circuitous route to the mouth of the Columbia River; he called this the "Stag River." Labelled "Elk River" on Palliser's 1857-8 map (copy with BC Archives); labelled "Stag or Elk River" on Arrowmith's 1862 map of British Columbia. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |