| Kitlope River | |
| Pushpin Map: | British Columbia |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Mouth of Kitlope River |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | British Columbia |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Coast Land District |
| Length: | 100km (100miles) |
| Source1: | Kitimat Ranges |
| Source1 Location: | Coast Mountains |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 52.7256°N -127.5761°W[1] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 693m (2,274feet) |
| Mouth: | Gardner Canal |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 53.2503°N -127.8931°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 40m (130feet)[2] |
The Kitlope River is a river in the Kitimat Ranges in the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, flowing north for 100km (100miles),[3] [4] into the head of the Gardner Canal to the south of the smelter town of Kitimat. It is named for the Gitlope group of Haisla, now part of the Haisla Nation government and community at Kitamaat Village near Kitimat. The name is a Tsimshian language reference to the people, who call themselves Henaksiala, and means "people of the rocks" or "people of the opening in the mountains". The Haisla language name for the river is Xesduwaxwsdu.
The term "the Kitlope" may refer also to the basin of the Kitlope, including the basins of its tributaries. The area has been the scene of protracted conservationist vs. resource extraction controversy since the 1970s and is now the Kitlope Heritage Conservancy, a protected area managed by BC Parks.[5]
The Kitlope Indian Reserve No. 16 is located at the river's mouth.