Similkameen River

The Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, eventually emptying into the Okanogan River near Oroville, Washington in the United States. The river is approximately convert|197|km|mi long, and its drainage basin is convert|7600|km2|sqmi in area. [ [http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/subbasinplanning/okanogan/plan/EntirePlan.pdf Okanogan Subbasin Plan] , Northwest Power and Conservation Council]

It starts on the east flank of Manning Park, and continues past the towns of Princeton, Keremeos, and Cawston, closely followed by Highway 3, the Crowsnest Highway. There are numerous viewpoints of the river from the highway, the most popular being Bromley Rock where it is possible to swim in the river from a spectacular sandy beach, although the water is very cold. It contributes 75% of the flow of the Okanogan River and crosses the international border at Nighthawk, Washington.

Major tributaries of the Similkameen are the Tulameen, Pasayten, and Ashnola Rivers. The Pasayten begins in Washington State, where its upper watershed is the protected Pasayten Wilderness, adjacent to the North Cascades National Park.

An international river

The Similkameen River subject to international water-sharing agreements governed by the International Joint Commission as part of the Columbia Basin. The authority responsible for overseeing the IJC agreements is the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control, composed of appointees from Environment Canada, the BC Ministry of Water, Land Air Protection, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Geological Survey, and private consultants. [ [http://www.ijc.org/php/publications/pdf/ID1574.pdf "Annual Report to the International Joint Commission from the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control, 2004"] ]

References

*GNIS|1525806|Similkameen River
*BCGNIS|20491| Similkameen River