Kakiddi Creek Explained

Kakiddi Creek
Pushpin Map:British Columbia
Pushpin Map Caption:Mouth of Kakiddi Creek
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:Canada
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:British Columbia
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Cassiar Land District
Length:35km (22miles)[1]
Discharge1 Avg:11.5m3/s[2]
Source1:Kakiddi Lake
Source1 Location:Stikine Plateau
Source1 Coordinates:57.6239°N -130.4°W
Source1 Elevation:789m (2,589feet)
Mouth:Klastline River
Mouth Coordinates:57.8739°N -130.4247°W
Mouth Elevation:655m (2,149feet)
Basin Size:709km2
Tributaries Left:Nido Creek, Pyramid Creek, Sorcery Creek, Tenchen Creek, Tennaya Creek, Tsecha Creek
Tributaries Right:Quash Creek
Custom Label:Topo map

Kakiddi Creek is a tributary of the Klastline River in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It flows north about 35km (22miles) through two lakes in a broad hummocky lowland to join the Klastline River, which in turn is a tributary of the Stikine River.[1] [3] [4] Kakiddi Creek forms the northeastern boundary of Mount Edziza Provincial Park which lies within the traditional territory of the Tahltan people.[5] [6]

Kakiddi Creek's watershed covers 709km2 and its estimated mean annual discharge is 11.5m3/s.[2] The mouth of Kakiddi Creek is located about 25km (16miles) west of Iskut, 44km (27miles) east of Telegraph Creek and about 77km (48miles) south-southwest of Dease Lake.[1] Kakiddi Creek's watershed's land cover is classified as 46.6% conifer forest, 17.4% barren, 15.4% shrubland, 11.2% herbaceous, 5.4% snow/glacier, and small amounts of other cover.[2]

Geography

Kakiddi Creek originates with several small streams flowing into Kakiddi Lake on the northeastern side of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex, a linear group of volcanoes on the Tahltan Highland.[3] [4] [5] From Kakiddi Lake, the creek flows about 3km (02miles) north into Nuttlude Lake from which it continues north for another 20km (10miles) before draining into the Klastline River.[1] [3] Both Kakiddi Lake and Nuttlude Lake lie behind large alluvial fans deposited by east-flowing tributaries. The glacial and landslide debris comprising these alluvial fans originated from the rapidly eroding headwalls and steep spurs on the eastern side of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.[4]

Kakiddi Creek contains six named left tributaries. The first one is Sorcery Creek which flows east into Kakiddi Lake. Tennaya Creek is the second named left tributary which flows northeast into Nuttlude Lake. The third named left tributary, Nido Creek, also flows northeast into Nuttlude Lake. Tenchen Creek, the fourth named left tributary, flows northeast into Kakiddi Creek. The fifth named left tributary, Pyramid Creek, flows east into Kakiddi Creek.[7] Tsecha Creek is the sixth named left tributary which flows northeast into Kakiddi Creek. The only named right tributary, Quash Creek, flows west into Kakiddi Creek.

Kakiddi Lake and Nuttlude Lake are well populated with rainbow trout and provide fishing in Mount Edziza Provincial Park.[8] Both lakes also provide access to Mount Edziza Provincial Park as they are large enough to be used by float-equipped aircraft.[4] [8]

Geology

Kakiddi Creek is the namesake of the Kakiddi Formation, a geological formation of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex. It consists of thick Pleistocene trachyte lava flows and pyroclastic rocks that extend into Kakiddi Creek valley. A Holocene lava flow from Moraine Cone on the north slope of Mount Edziza entered Kakiddi Creek near its junction with the Klastline River. In doing so, the lava flow temporarily blocked Kakiddi Creek to form a lava-dammed lake. Subsequent etching of this lava dam by Kakiddi Creek has exposed beds of lacustrine silt upstream from the lava. Moraine Cone and the associated lava flow are assigned to the Big Raven Formation, the youngest geological formation of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex. A Holocene lava flow from the eastern slope of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex extends almost to Nuttlude Lake and is also part of the Big Raven Formation.[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Elevation, length and coordinates derived from Google Earth and the Canadian Geographical Names Database
  2. Web site: Northwest Water Tool . BC Water Tool . GeoBC, Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Government of British Columbia . 2023-09-26.
  3. JAFMP. Kakiddi Creek. 2023-09-27.
  4. Souther. J. G.. Jack Souther. The Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada. Canada Communication Group. Memoir 420. 1992. 32, 33, 207, 221, 228. 0-660-14407-7. 10.4095/133497. free.
  5. Telegraph Creek, Cassiar Land District, British Columbia. https://web.archive.org/web/20210502071600/https://volcano.si.edu/maps/GVAlaskaCanada/G910509-006.jpg. 1:250,000. 104 G. A 502. 3. Topographic map. Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. 1989. en,fr. 2021-09-25. 2021-05-02.
  6. Book: Markey. Sean. Halseth. Greg. Manson. Don. Investing in Place: Economic Renewal in Northern British Columbia. University of British Columbia Press. 242. 2012. 978-0-7748-2293-0.
  7. Souther. J. G.. Jack Souther. Geology, Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia. 1623A. 1:50,000. Geologic map. M. Sigouin, Geological Survey of Canada. Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. 1988. en. 10.4095/133498. free.
  8. Web site: Mount Edziza Provincial Park. https://web.archive.org/web/20230123120553/https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/mt_edziza/. 2023-01-23. BC Parks. 2021-10-21.