Fraser River east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

© LeonU/Getty Image

Take me to the river

Today is World Rivers Day, a conservation event inspired by BC (British Columbia) Rivers Day, founded near these banks 40 years ago. The 850-mile-long Fraser River flows through this Canadian province’s diverse landscape: From the Rocky Mountains, it carves steep valleys through central BC, and irrigates farmlands outside Vancouver before spilling into the sea just south of the city. The river flows gently in this stretch, as seen from the Port Mann Bridge east of Vancouver, with the Golden Ears mountains in the background.

Thanks to preservation efforts, the Fraser's main stem remains completely undammed and it draws its water from far and wide. Its drainage basin, the area covered by the main river and all its tributaries, covers a quarter of BC's land area. Delicate environments like rivers are interconnected and that's what World Rivers Day aims to highlight through clean-up opportunities and virtual events.