The Dudidontu River is a tributary of the Nahlin River in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada.[3] It joins the Nahlin River, which forms the Inklin River, one of the main tributaries of the Taku River.[6] The Dudidontu River's watershed covers 964 km2 (372 sq mi),[5] and its mean annual discharge is 15.4 m3/s (540 cu ft/s).[5] Almost half of the Dudidontu's flow comes from its main tributary, Kakuchuya Creek, and Kakuchuya Creek's main tributary, Matsatu Creek.[5] The mouth of the Dudidontu River is located about 150 km (93 mi) northeast of Juneau, Alaska and about 110 km (68 mi) northwest of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
| Dudidontu River | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| District | Cassiar Land District |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Level Mountain Range |
| • location | Nahlin Plateau |
| • coordinates | 58°24′12″N 131°26′54″W[1] |
| • elevation | 1,710 m (5,610 ft)[2] |
| Mouth | Nahlin River |
• coordinates | 58°47′22″N 131°59′5″W[3] |
• elevation | 387 m (1,270 ft)[2] |
| Length | 112 km (70 mi)[4] |
| Basin size | 964 km2 (372 sq mi),[5] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 15.4 m3/s (540 cu ft/s)[5] |
| Basin features | |
| Topo maps | NTS 104J5 Ketchum Lake NTS 104J6 Beatty Creek NTS 104J13 Prairie Lake NTS 104J12 Dudidontu River |
The Dudidontu River is in the traditional territory of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, part of the Tlingit people.[7]
The Dudidontu River originates near the headwaters of the Little Tahltan River and Egnell Creek, in the Level Mountain Range on the Nahlin Plateau.[8] From its source the river flows west in a U-shaped valley of Level Mountain,[8][9] then south, then by Ketchum Lake,[10] where the Dudidontu turns and flows generally north for the rest of its length, about 112 km (70 mi) in total.[4] It flows by Camp Island Lake and between Level Mountain and the Heart Peaks.[11] It is joined by its main tributary, Kakuchuya Creek, and Kakuchuya Creek's main tributary Matsatu Creek, both of which flow from Level Mountain.[12][13]
The middle Dudidontu River, from Camp Island Lake to 6.4 km (4.0 mi) below Kakuchuya Creek, meanders through a wide floodplain, providing excellent spawning habitat for Chinook salmon. Below this section the lower Dudidontu flows through a 19.2 km (11.9 mi) long canyon with steep slopes of mud, boulders, and shale, with no vegetation. This section of the river is a series of almost continuous heavy rapids.[14]
The Dudidontu River's watershed's land cover is classified as 37.9% shrubland, 25.3% conifer forest, 22.6% barren, and small amounts of other cover.[5]