Coquitlam River

Coquitlam River
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Source
- elevation	1,034 m (3,392 ft)
- coordinates
Mouth	Fraser River
- location	Port Coquitlam, Metro Vancouver
- elevation	4 m (13 ft)
- coordinates
Discharge	for Port Coquitlam
- average	6.04 m3/s (213 cu ft/s)
- max	476 m3/s (16,810 cu ft/s)
- min	0.025 m3/s (1 cu ft/s)

The Coquitlam River (/koʊˈkwɪtləm/ or /kəˈkwɪtləm/) is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

The river's name comes from a Halkomelem word meaning "stinking of fish slime". A traditional story tells of the Coquitlam people selling themselves into slavery during a winter famine. While butchering salmon for their masters they would be covered with fish slime.

Each year hundreds of salmon return to spawn in the Coquitlam River.

Part of the Port Coquitlam Tributary Trail and the Trans Canada trail run alongside this river. The Indian reserves of the Kway-quit-lum people of the Coquitlam Indian Band are also located along the river.

Course

The Coquitlam River originates at Disappointment Lake in the Coast Mountains near Indian Arm. It flows south into Coquitlam Lake, a reservoir behind Coquitlam Dam, which provides a large portion of Vancouver's drinking water. Below the dam the Coquitlam River continues to flow south, reaching the Fraser River between the cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, suburban municipalities located in Metro Vancouver.

See also

• List of tributaries of the Fraser River

External links

• Website dedicated to preserving the ecological future of the river