CONFLUENCE - Bovin Creek - Elk River - Elkford, BC
Posted by: 
Bon Echo
N 50° 01.402 W 114° 54.914
11U E 649330 N 5543311
A confluence point in the City of Elkford
Waymark Code: WMZ7AV
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/22/2018
Views: 1
The confluence of Bovin Creek and the Elk River occurs in the City of Elkford, just a short distance from the Fording River Road bridge over the Elk River. Accessing the confluence is easy as a wide public trail leads right by it.
A geocache (GC7ABEZ) placed near the confluence by the Elk River Alliance tells us a bit about the importance of this confluence. An info card found within the cache provides the following details:
"Originally named Goat Creek, Boivin Creek was renamed for William Boivin, an old timer from the Elk Valley. Elkford is built on the alluvial fan where Boivin Creek meets the Elk River. Fast flowing water exits steep mountainous terrain to the west, emerging onto the flat Elk Valley bottom, depositing a cone-shape of rock debris called an alluvial fan. Water wants to move throughout the entire alluvial fan, which is a hazard for Elkford residents. To protect homes and critical infrastructure, the District of Elkford has channelized Boivin Creek. Instead of a meandering creek, today Boivin is straight and armoured with large rocks through town. The downside to this solution is that it does not provide good habitat for aquatic organisms like fish. Due to recent floodplain mapping, the future construction of homes and businesses in these hazard areas has greater restrictions to protect people and the environment."
About Bovin Creek
Bovin Creek appears to start near Phillips Peak, southwest of Elkford. It flows north and mostly east for roughly twelve kms before joining the Elk River. The creek flows through the center of the town and in 2013 flooding of the creek caused significant property damage in the area.
About the Elk River
The Elk River is a 220-kilometre (140 mi) long river, in the southeastern Kootenay district of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is 4,450 square kilometres (1,720 sq mi) in area. The Elk River originates from the Elk Lakes near the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. It flows through the Elk Valley in a southwesterly direction, joining the Kootenay River in Lake Koocanusa, just north of the British Columbia-Montana border.
The Elk River runs through the communities of Elkford, Sparwood, Hosmer, Fernie, and Elko.
Adapted from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_River_(British_Columbia) (
visit link)