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the pulp

and paper industry, and the supply of Prince
Rupert.

In the Yukon, a single development of 15,000
horse-power serves the demands of a placer gold-dredging
plant and supplies the relatively small needs of Dawson City.
One development only has been made in that part of the
Mackenzie River and Arctic Drainage in the North Pacific
Region. This is the 4,700 horse-power hydro-electric plant
on the Yellowknife River north of Great Slave Lake which
serves several gold-mining properties and the settlement of
Yellowknife. A second development comprising an 8,000
horse-power installation is now being constructed on the
Snare River by the Dominion Government to augment
the power supply in the Yellowknife area.

Until more is known of the possibilities of economic
development of the other natural resources of the North
Pacific Region, it is difficult to envisage markets for power.
In the Coastal area, where ocean transportation costs are
low, the abundance of power sites, both great and small,
indicates the possibility of establishing industries based on
mineral and forest resources, particularly electro-chemical
or electro metallurgical industries which are dependent upon
low-cost power and transportation. In the interior of
British Columbia, and in the Yukon, the Northwest Terri-
tories, and northern Alberta, the development of mineral

resources would appear to offer the most likely market for
power.

CoastAL DRAINAGE

The Coastal Drainage, considered for the purpose of
this report as part of the North Pacific Region, embraces
all streams flowing into the Pacific Ocean north of Bute
Inlet and includes Queen Charlotte Islands. The upper
drainage includes a strip along the coast which is part of
the United States Territory of Alaska. This report,
however, deals only with the Canadian portion of the
Coastal Drainage, which is approximately 97,000 square
miles in extent on the mainland and 4,000 square miles
in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The Coast Mountains, which form the Pacific Coast
of British Columbia or closely parallel the coast, are the
dominating feature of the Coastal Drainage. Most of the
smaller rivers flowing into the various inlets rise in the
Coast Mountains. A number of the larger rivers, such as
the Homathko, Klinaklini, Dean, Skeena, Nass, and Stikine,
break through these ranges from the interior plateau,
although many of their tributaries and the larger portion
of their watersheds lie among the Coast Mountains.

The water supply in the Coastal Drainage is the most
abundant of any part of Canada, due to the very heavy
precipitation on the west slope of the Coast Mountains.
This precipitation varies from 40 inches annually in some
localities to more than 200 inches in others. To the cast
of the Coast Range in the interior plateau, precipitation
is much lighter, varying from 15 to 30 inches.

[ 70 }

Because of this plentiful water supply and the steep
descents of most of the rivers, water-power possibilities are
found in abundance in the Coastal Drainage and, except in
the more northerly part of the region, these possibilities
have been investigated quite extensively. Estimates of
potential development show a total of 932,000 horse-power
under conditions of ordinary minimum flow, or 1,969,000
horse-power ordinarily available for six months of the year.

Water power has been developed in the Coastal Drainage
on a number of streams, but installations total only about
52,000 horse-power. The largest development is 26,850
horse-power on Link River by Pacific Mills Limited. This
installation supplies the power requirements of the com-
pany’s pulp and paper mill and the community dependent
thereon at Ocean Falls. The City of Prince Rupert is
supplied with power by the Northern British Columbia
Power Company from two developments: one of 4,380
horse-power on Falls Creek, and the other of 1,650 horse-
power on Shawatlan River. The Falls Creek development
is capable of being enlarged to 20,000 horse-power as load
demands warrant. A development of 10,600 horse-power
on Falls Creek near Anyox, B.C., formerly used for mining
and smelting copper, has now been idle for a number of
years. Other smaller developments in the region are used
chiefly for mining, in the manufacture of forest products,
and in the canning of fish.

Water-power developments and undeveloped sites of
1,000 horse-power or more in the Coastal Drainage are

shown in Tables I and I, respectively, and their locations

are indicated on the attached map.

The water-power resources of the principal streams

flowing into the Pacific Ocean are described in some detail
hereunder.

Taku and Other Northern Streams

The Taku River drains a considerable area of northern
British Columbia immediately south of the Yukon River
watershed. It crosses the boundary into Alaska and flows
into Taku Inlet in the vicinity of Juneau. Information is
completely lacking as to its water supply characteristics
and water-power possibilities. One power development
has been made in the watershed, that of Polaris Taku
Mining Company on the Talsekwe River, a tributary of
the Taku, where 600 horse-power was installed in 1937.

Alsek River, which has its source in the southern Yukon,
cuts through the St. Elias Range, crosses the northwestern-
most corner of British Columbia into Alaska and enters
the Pacific Ocean. Nothing is known of its Water-supply
characteristics or water-power possibilities.

Stikine River

The Stikine River rises to the east of the Coast
Mountains and cuts through them with nearly uniform
gradient. The last 20 miles of its course is across the
Alaska Panhandle. The Stikine is navigable by stern-wheel