below the upland region of Punkutlaenkut Lake, then westerly towards the Chezakut where the Clusko comes from the north, flowing southwest and south of Chilcotin Lake. The Chilcotin River flows southwest through a deepening valley where it is met by the outlet of Puntzi Lakes. This occurs at Redstone by Chilanko River. The confluence of Chilko River and its main tributary Taseko River meet the Chilcotin River between Redstone and Alexis Creek. At this point, the Chilcotin River is roughly 200 feet below the surface. The valley in this reach also widens and deepens. At Alexis Creek, the river flows towards a basin as it forms a divide with the Nazko. At this point, the river joins form the north and turns southeast towards Hanceville. The valley becomes more deep until it is 1,800 feet below the level of the plateau. At the Fraser-Chilcotin confluence, Chilcotin is 2,220 feet below plateau-level when it is joined by Big Creek Canyon. Between the confluence with its main tributary the Chilko River and its final confluence with the Fraser River, it is approximately 83 km. Through this reach, the Chilcotin River flows through Bull Canyon, Farwell Canyon, and Big Creek Canyon. The Chilko-Taseko confluence attracts many visitors because the rivers are coloured differently. Taseko River has a milky appearance where as Chilko River has a clear blue appearance. This site is a recreation favourite as it is used for whitewater rafting. Discharge A hydrometric station in Chilcotin River between Big Creek and the Fraser River confluence reported a mean discharge of 102 m3/s between 1971 and 2018. There have been no active, government-operated hydrometric stations on the river since 2018. The majority of winter precipitation in the Chilcotin Watershed falls as snow, causing Chilcotin River to experience a pronounced spring and early summer freshet, which is stream flooding due to melting snow. The highest average monthly discharge is nearly 10 times that of the month with the lowest discharge. Protected Zones The Chilcotin River runs along borders of Bull Canyon Provincial Park, Big Creek Ecological Reserve, and Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park. Major Tributaries Chilcotin River is composed of seven major tributaries, the largest is Chilko River which is unique because it has a volume greater than the Chilcotin River. These tributaries are part of the Fraser River tributaries and the rivers in British Columbia. Climate The annual average temperature between 1951-1980 was