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Author Topic: Clarity on the fraser  (Read 3895 times)

TheLostSockeye

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Clarity on the fraser
« on: August 25, 2014, 10:23:20 PM »
has the fraser always been a dark coloured up river? Did it once look like the skeena?
The only reason of why I think the Fraser is always murked up is from logging upriver releasing a bunch of loose sediments. Does anyone have any info on why the Fraser is so muddy all of the time?
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RalphH

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Re: Clarity on the fraser
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2014, 07:22:15 AM »
It's been a turbid (murky with sediment)  river all the time I can remember. Why? It has a much larger watershed than the Skeena with I believe more extensive and higher mountain crowns, that means more snow and glacier ice - more melt water. Many of the larger tribs are very turbid. It also varies with the year low snow pack, cooler weather will usually mean improved clarity. Some year by early Sept there may be a couple of feet of visibility.
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StillAqua

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Re: Clarity on the fraser
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2014, 03:53:06 PM »
It's almost all perfectly natural.......over 10,000 years, all that silt and sediment eroded and deposited by the Fraser built Richmond and Delta.
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TheLostSockeye

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Re: Clarity on the fraser
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2014, 06:12:18 PM »
cool thanks for the replies. I always just wondered. It sure is awesome living so close to the fraser.
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clarki

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Re: Clarity on the fraser
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2014, 08:20:34 PM »
Nothing to do with logging. The sediment load of the Fraser River is an average of 20 million tonnes a year, or the equivalent of 2 million dump truck. Third largest load in Canada with only the Peace and Mackenzie Rivers higher. (source: Environment Canada).

Most of the sediment is picked up during the the 500 km run from Prince George to Lytton, through the Interior Plateau.     

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