The Chilcotin River /tʃɪlˈkoʊtɪn/ located in Southern British Columbia, Canada is a long tributary of the Fraser River. The name Chilcotin comes from Tŝilhqot’in, meaning "ochre river people," where ochre refers to the mineral used by Tŝilhqot’in Nation and other Indigenous communities as a base for paint or dye. The Chilcotin River, Chilko River and Lake, and Taseko River and Lake make up the Chilcotin River watershed. This watershed drains the Chilcotin Plateau which reaches north to south from the Nechako Plateau to Bridge River county and east to west from Fraser River to the Coast Mountains. It is also one of twelve watersheds that make up the Fraser River Basin. Made up of seven major tributaries, Chilcotin River starts northeast of Itcha Mountain, flowing southeast until it joins the Fraser River south of Williams Lake, upstream from Gang Ranch. The geological processes that created this region support its diverse history, climate, and ecology. This diversity is also illustrated by the presence of biogeoclimatic zones and a rich population of fish. Canadian Fisheries and many communities within the region such as: Alexis Creek, Hanceville, and the Tŝilhqot’in Nation depend on the diversity of Chilcotin River. In recent years, its diverse history, climate, and ecology has been impacted by a number of environmental concerns such as: increases in flooding, changes in water quality, declines in steelhead trout populations, and an increase in mountain pine beetle outbreaks. Natural Landscape & Climate Geology Rocks that form the valley walls suggest that the southward course of the Chilcotin River may have formed during the Late Miocene or Pliocene epochs. The lower reach of the Chilcotin River is home to the Wineglass assemblage and sedimentary rock which is enclosed by older rocks from the Cache Creek terrane. The assemblage is made up of Late Permian tonalitic rock cut through Late Permian volcanic rock. It is unique because its structure and composition correlates to other assemblages (Kutcho and Sitlika assemblages) across British Columbia. The assemblages share similar lithology, an unconformity overlain with sedimentary sequences from the Triassic-Jurassic Periods, and a structural relationship with the overlying Cache Creek Complex. Course From its headwaters, Chilcotin River has many branches. Some branches are headed towards the western part of Chilcotin Plateau. Approximately 80 km (50 mi) from the Coast Range at altitudes of 3,500 to 4,200 feet, water is gathered from small creeks and lakes. The river flows slightly