GEOTOUR GUIDE - City of Kamloops

Tracing the North and South Thompson Rivers back to their headwaters reveals that both rivers drain the rugged Columbia
Mountains and its many glaciers. Streams that flow from these glaciers are very muddy because they carry a load of glacial
silt (finely ground rock). Both the North and South Thompson drainages flow through many large lakes. In this way, both river
systems are similar. However, the lakes of the North Thompson River occur only in the Wells Gray Park area, drained by the
Clearwater River. Note the name “Clearwater River”. Rivers that flow into lakes enter a giant settling pond – mud and silt carried
along by energetic river flow settles in the still water to the lake bottom. However, a large part of the North Thompson River does
not flow through large lakes and therefore it carries the mud and silt eroded from mountain glaciers all the way to Kamloops
Lake. In contrast, the headwater streams of the South Thompson River all flow into the giant Shuswap Lake system, filtering their
waters. The South Thompson River flows out of Shuswap Lake as clear and warm as the Shuswap lakes. The only way for mud
to get into the South Thompson River is through tributaries that enter the river downstream from Shuswap Lake. Chase Creek
is one such stream and floods on Chase Creek can occasionally create muddy water in the South Thompson River. Such muddy
water is important to Kamloops because the City draws its domestic water from the South Thompson River, and for many years
muddy water (turbidity) created problems for water treatment (see Stop 13).
How to get to overlander parK: Cross the Overlander Bridge to the North Shore from the Victoria
Street and the City Centre. Turn right on Fort Avenue and then again on Schubert Drive. At the end of Schubert, turn
right on Beach Avenue and then left on Kitchener Crescent. There is a parking lot at the park. Cross to the River Walk
trail along the dyke above the river bank. Look for stairs to the sand and gravel beach and bar below.
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