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From it′s Head Waters to the Columbia River
The Kootenay River has it′s head waters in the Canadian Rockies not far from Lake Louise and Banff National Park. These head waters are found on the west side of the continental divide just below the steeps of Hungabee Mountains and Opabin Pass where snowmelt trickles into the rills which then flow into streams, then creeks and continue to flow downward to the valley flats below and ultimately in the general direction southward.
The Kootenay flows southeast, then southwest, merges with the Simpson River and after several twists through the Canadian mountains, the Kootenay merges with the Elk river in Lake Koocanusa. Their combined waters then crosses into the United States, entering the extreme northwestern area of Montana, even more northward than
Flathead Lake. Next, the Kootenay flow under the
Lake Koocanuse Bridge, it flows into the extreme northwestern corner of Montana, more northwest even than the Flathead.
When the river flows south into Montana just west of Glacier National Park, it becomes the Kootenai river. The rive continues south until it reaches the Libby Dam. After flowing out of the dam, it turns to the northwest to the Kootenai Falls between Libby and Troy Montana. The Kootenai river continue northwest and then crosses into northern Idaho before turning northwest to return to Canada.
When back in Canada, the Kootenay river enters Kootenay Lake, merges with the Duncan river coming in from the north, then turn west through the Kootenay narrows and finally merges with the Columbia River at Castlegar, British Columbia.
Primary:
Columbia River, (British Columbia, Canada)
Location:
Confluence with Primary:
Coordinates:
(49.316667, -117.651111)
Elevation:
1380 feet
Source:
Coordinates:
(51.3298861, -116.2935035)
Elevation:
8870 feet
Size:
Total Length:
485 miles
Total Basin Area:
square miles
Geography Information:
Geographical Region
Rocky Mountains Region of
Montana, and
Idaho
Ecoregion
Northern Rockies Ecoregion of
Montana, and
Idaho
Kootenai River Information:
Primary:
Columbia River,
British Columbia, Canada
Major Tributaries:
Province:
British Columbia
Simpson River
(51.196120, -116.090217) ?
Elk River
(49.171567, -115.225152)
History:
For thousands of years, the Kootenai River has been a travel route for the indigenous people known as the Kootenai tribe, both the Ktunaza and the Ksanka bands. Also, along the banks of this river was a land route, established by these same people, who often walked these footpaths, establishing trails. (For more information, See The Ancients below)
David Thompson Bridge (see photos below)
The David Thompson Bridge was built during the Libby Dam construction, but what I did not know until my visit in 2022 is who David Thompson was and the remarkable things that he accomplished. Previously, I had thought that he was one of the workers that had died during the construction, which is a common naming protocol in construction, but that was not the case. After camping for two days on the banks of the Kootenai River at Blackwell Flats just downstream of the dam, I pack out and drive west on US 2 towards Ponderay, Idaho.
Along this highway, a short way south of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, I see three information kiosks on the west side of the highway, stop and read the stories. One of the kiosks tells the story of the famous map maker, explorer, and fur trader who hunted the land and traded with the natives all along while working for the North West Company. He arrived into this area and traveled the Kootenai River in 1808.
Who was this early North American Wayfarer? He was the same person that this bridge has been named for, David Thompson.
Also, David Thompson of the North West Company traveled the Kootenai River by canoe intending to open the area for trade. He arrived in this area on the fifth of May 1808. On a return trip two year later in May of 1810, he arrived on foot using the trail system. When he left the Kootenai, her headed north to cross the Rocky Mountains through Howse Pass in what is now British Columbia.
During the winter of 1808-1809, Finan McDonald, also of the North West Company, opened the first trading post. It was on the north side of the Kootenai River near the location of where Libby, Montana is now. Later, that post moved upstream, likely to a place near to where the Libby Dam is now located. A competitor company, called the Pacific Fur Company was along the Kootenai during the winter of 1812-1813. Aslo, the Hudson Bay Company operated trading operations, sending men to open a seasonal post called Fort Kootenai along the banks of the river. After 1839, the Hudson Bay trading post was moved to the Tobacco River valley and finally, the Fort Kootenai was moved north into the British Territory in 1865.
There were a few other noteworthy travelers including a Jesuit priest, Father Pierre DeSmet who came on foot walking the established trails, arriving in 1845 and established a Catholic mission in the Tobacco River valley. Then, in 1859, James Hector of the Palliser Expediton arrive at the Big Bend of the Kootenai River, the place where its flow coming down from the British Territory in a southbound direction into what is now Montana at a location just below where Libby Dam now exists and then begins to turn back northbound. A year later, in 1860, the American Boundary Commission pass through the area during their survey and marking of the international boundary line. Four years after that, in 1864, Ed Warren built a ferry to provide miners a place to cross not far from the Big Bend of the Kootenai. These miners were on their way to the Wild Horse Creek gold strike in British Columbia but Warren′s business failed primarily due to a better route called the Moyie Trail in what is now Idaho.
Then, in 1891, the Old Tote Road opened, which was located on the south side of the Kootenai and was the first actual road between Libby and Kalispell, which was then known as Demerville. This road came to be the supply route for settlers and railway workers coming to the area prior to the construction of the Great Northern Railroad completed in 1892.
David Thompson, Born: 30 April 1770, Died: 10 February 1857
David Thompson was a British Canadian cartographer, explorer, fur trader, and surveyor, who was known to some native people as Koo-Koo-Sint or in English, the Stargazer. It is reported that during Thompson′s career, he traveled 56,000 miles or 90,000 kilometers across the North American continent and along the way was able to map about 1.9 million square miles of the continent along his travels. Because of his accomplishment, Thompson has been described as the greatest practical land geographer that the world has produced.
In 1784, at the age of 14, the Grey Coat hospital, a school for the disadvantaged where he graduated from the school of mathematics. The home treasurer paid the Hudson′s Bay Company the sum of five pounds, upon which Thompson became the company′s indentured servant for a period of seven years to be trained as a clerk. He set sail on 28 May of 1784, and left England for North America.
Later, when convalescing from a fractured leg bone (tibia) Thompson expanded his astronomical, mathematical, and surveying skills under the tutelage of Hudson's Bay Company surveyor Philip Turnor. After his apprenticeship ended in 1790, he then hired on as a fur trader and completed his first significant survey of the route to Lake Athabasca near the extreme northern Alberta and Saskatchewan border.
In 1811, David Thompson was the first European to navigate he entire length of the Columbia river and map both the Columbia river and record the location of its tributaries. He arrived at the mouth of the Columbia on 14 July 1811 and reached the partially constructed Fort Astoria being built by the Pacific Fur Company who arrived on the Ship Tonquin just two months earlier. In 1812, Thompson returned to Montreal and published his journals.
The Ancients Steps:
Ancient Steps:
The Kutenai People
The land along the Kootenay River in British Columbia, Canada and the Kootenai river in Idaho and Montana in the United States has long been inhabited by the Kutenai people. From where did this indigenous people come from?
The ancestors of the modern day Kootenay were from the sons of
Joktan, who with their father came across the Beringia land bridge. Then, after traversing across the interior of what is now Canada, this nation of people continue with Joktan southwest towards the the coast near to where the Columbia river goes through the Columbia River Gorge and cuts through the Cascade mountains. And it was along the banks of a very large lake which they called, Ta-Maschilamek Menuppek, or in English, Great Salmon Lake, where
Hadoram decided to depart company from his father, Joktan and to make the area along the shores of this lake his homeland. Over the centuries, the Great Salmon Lake drained out to the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River and in the process, cut a deep gorge through the Cascade Mountains, one which today divides the states of Washington and Oregon.
The Kutenai River
The river was central to the economic life of the Kutenai people as an important fishing and hunting area. Too, it has been a place of special and spiritual meaning ever since their forefathers arrive here after the crossing of the Bering Land Bridge.
Later, as the level of the lake began to recede, some of the sons of Hadoram began to follow the water inland. These were Hadoram′s sons who became the Pacific Interior Region Tribes of the Salish, the Sahaptin and the Plateau. And it was from the Plateau, that there came to be a tribe whose homeland became the Kootenai river, a tribe we know today as the Kutenai people.
Since then, the Kutenai have coexisted with the creations in their habitat. Even today, stewardship of the Kootenai waterway requires the utmost respect and protection for all elements of the natural world.
The Kootenai Falls, as the sole barrier to navigation from the headwaters marks a transition zone between the Upper Kutenai tribe and Lower Kutenai tribe.
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