Blue River, British Columbia

Blue River is a small community in British Columbia, situated on the Yellowhead Highway about halfway between Kamloops, British Columbia and Jasper, Alberta. It currently has 260 residents. The local economy is supported by logging, tourism and transportation industries.

Physical Environment

Blue River lies in a wide, gravelly part of the North Thompson River valley. Its podzolic soils are strongly acidic and coarse, with abundant sand, gravel and stones. Drainage is not as rapid as would be expected from the soils' coarse texture because the subsoils tend to be cemented.

Climate

Blue River has a continental climate which is subject to frequent modification by maritime air masses from the Pacific Ocean. The area is part of a "wet belt" which occupies part of eastern British Columbia. Heavy snow falls over almost every winter, in which temperatures stay close to the freezing point when maritime air dominates. The most severe cold spells may send thermometer readings below -40°C/F. Rain is frequent in other seasons. Summer days are warm or occasionally hot, with thunderstorms often spawning over the nearby mountains.

Animal Life

The forests and mountains around Blue River have plentiful big game such as deer, moose, black bear, grizzly bear, and caribou. Birds include osprey, eagle, woodpecker and raven. The mountain pine beetle is threatening to become the area's most significant insect.

Plant Life

Lodgepole pine is the most common tree at Blue River, although it is at high risk from the mountain pine beetle. Other common native conifers are Douglas-fir, Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, western hemlock and western red cedar. Among deciduous trees, the black cottonwood is largest; trembling aspen and paper birch are also prominent. Non-native trees which may be seen in Blue River include green ash, littleleaf linden, silver maple, and Norway maple. Sugar maple, burr oak, northern red oak and butternut formerly thrived at the CNR Gardens.

External links

* [http://www.blueriverbc.ca/ Blue River & Avola Tourist Information Website]