Walkout Creek Explained

Walkout Creek
Pushpin Map:British Columbia
Pushpin Map Caption:Mouth of Walkout Creek
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:Canada
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:British Columbia
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Cassiar Land District
Length:12km (07miles)[1]
Discharge1 Avg:2.26m3/s[2]
Source1:Near Tadeda Peak
Source1 Location:Tahltan Highland
Source1 Coordinates:57.5542°N -130.6264°W
Source1 Elevation:1730m (5,680feet)
Mouth:Raspberry Creek
Mouth Coordinates:57.5581°N -130.8033°W
Mouth Elevation:860m (2,820feet)
Basin Size:80.9km2
Tributaries Left:Flyin Creek
Custom Label:Topo map

Walkout Creek is a tributary of Raspberry Creek, which in turn is a tributary of Mess Creek, part of the Stikine River watershed in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It flows generally west for roughly 12km (07miles) to join Raspberry Creek about 5km (03miles) east-southeast of Raspberry Creek's confluence with Mess Creek.[1] [3] Walkout Creek's watershed covers 80.9km2 and its mean annual discharge is estimated at 2.26m3/s.[2] The mouth of Walkout Creek is located about 44km (27miles) southeast of Telegraph Creek, about 38km (24miles) southwest of Iskut and about 108km (67miles) south-southwest of Dease Lake.[1] Walkout Creek's watershed's land cover is classified as 34.2% barren, 25.1% shrubland, 21.5% herbaceous, 17.7% conifer forest, and small amounts of other cover.[2]

Walkout Creek is in Mount Edziza Provincial Park which lies within the traditional territory of the Tahltan people.[4] [5]

Geography

Walkout Creek originates at the eastern end of a valley south of Mount Edziza.[3] [4] From its source near Tadeda Peak, Walkout Creek flows about 6km (04miles) northwest through the valley to the southern edge of the high and relatively barren Big Raven Plateau. It then flows about 5km (03miles) southwest between the Mess Creek Escarpment to join Raspberry Creek.[1] [3] [4]

Walkout Creek's only named tributary, Flyin Creek, is about 2.5km (01.6miles) east of Walkout Creek's confluence with Raspberry Creek.[1] [3] It is about 7km (04miles) long and flows northwest into Walkout Creek from near Cache Hill.[1] [6]

Geology

Lying within the valley of Walkout Creek are the Walkout Creek centres.[7] These are two small cinder cones in the middle of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex, which consists of a linear group of volcanoes on the Tahltan Highland.[4] [7] The largest cone is about 120m (390feet) high and was constructed on top of a slow moving landslide originating from the northern side of Walkout Creek valley. Both cones have been deeply dissected, the larger cone having been segmented into arcuate, step-like slices from continued movement of the landslide. The Walkout Creek centres and their associated lava flows are assigned to the Big Raven Formation, the youngest geological formation of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.[7]

History

In 1954, a bush pilot from Atlin named Herman Peterson flew into the narrow valley of Walkout Creek under a low overcast. Mistaking it for Raspberry Pass, Peterson was unable to turn out of the valley and crashed into the head of Walkout Creek. Peterson survived the crash and walked his way back to Telegraph Creek.[7] In 2004, Peterson died at the age of 90 and was a member of the Yukon Transportation Hall of Fame.[8]

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. JBCJV. Walkout Creek. 2023-09-28.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. JAXDT. Flyin Creek. 2023-09-28.
  7. Souther. J. G.. Jack Souther. The Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada. Canada Communication Group. Memoir 420. 1992. 214, 234, 235, 318. 0-660-14407-7. 10.4095/133497. free.
  8. Web site: Pilot founded first Atlin air service. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2023-09-28.