Catto Creek

Catto Creek
Mouth of Catto Creek
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictRange 2 Coast Land District
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationPacific Ranges
 • coordinates51°26′38″N 126°21′8″W / 51.44389°N 126.35222°W / 51.44389; -126.35222[3]
 • elevation1,415 m (4,642 ft)[4][2]
MouthWakeman River
 • coordinates
51°21′40″N 126°26′3″W / 51.36111°N 126.43417°W / 51.36111; -126.43417[1][2]
 • elevation
432 m (1,417 ft)[4]
Length16 km (9.9 mi)[5]
Basin features
Topo mapNTS 92M8 Catto Creek

Catto Creek is a tributary of the Wakeman River in the Central Coast region of the province of British Columbia, Canada.[1][6]

It flows generally south and southwest for roughly 16 km (9.9 mi)[5] to join the upper Wakeman River. The mouth of Catto Creek is located about 115 km (71 mi) south of Bella Coola, about 280 km (170 mi) north of Campbell River, and about 430 km (270 mi) northwest of Vancouver.

Catto Creek is in the traditional territory of the Kwakwakaʼwakw Gwaʼsala-ʼNakwaxdaʼxw Nations, Ḵwiḵwa̱sut'inux̱w Ha̱xwa'mis First Nation,[7] and the Dzawada̱'enux̱w First Nation.[8]

Geography

Catto Creek originates in the high peaks and glaciers of the Ha-Iltzuk Icefield in the Pacific Ranges of the southern Coast Mountains. Its source is in the Catto Creek Conservancy protected area.[9][10] The creek flows south and southwest to the Wakeman River just south of the Catto Creek Conservancy.[11][2]

Geology

The headwaters of Catto Creek are within the southern portion of the Silverthrone Caldera, a 20 km (12 mi) wide volcanic structure formed by subsidience of the land surface. At the head of the creek is the deeply dissected remains of intracaldera polymict breccia that is overlain by younger lava flows and domes. About 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of the head of Catto Creek is a basaltic andesite flow near the eastern bank of the creek. From there, Catto Creek flows about 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest to the inferred southwestern boundary of the Silverthrone Caldera.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Catto Creek". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ a b c "Toporama (on-line map and search)". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  3. ^ Derived from BCGNIS, topographic maps, and Toporama
  4. ^ a b Elevation derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, using GeoLocator, BCGNIS coordinates, and topographic maps.
  5. ^ a b Length measured using BCGNIS coordinates, topographic maps, and Toporama
  6. ^ "Catto Creek". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  7. ^ "Catto Creek Conservancy". Coast Funds. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Dzawada'enuxw Territory". Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w First Nation. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Catto Creek Conservancy". BC Geographical Names.
  10. ^ "Catto Creek Conservancy". BC Parks. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  11. ^ British Columbia Road & Recreation Atlas. Benchmark Maps. 2024. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-926806-87-7.
  12. ^ "92 M/8" (Topographic map). Catto Creek, Coast Land District Range 2, British Columbia (2 ed.). 1:50,000. A 721. Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. 1980. ASIN B07MHW3L5K.
  13. ^ Souther, J. G. (1990). Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jürgen (eds.). Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada. Cambridge University Press. pp. 138, 139. ISBN 0-521-43811-X.