The Spatsizi Plateau is a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

in the upper basin of the

Stikine River The Stikine River ( ) is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and ...

in north-central

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Most of the plateau, which is a sub-plateau of the

Stikine Plateau The Stikine Plateau is a plateau in northern British Columbia, Canada. It lies between the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains on the west and southwest and the Cassiar Mountains along its northeast, and between the Skeena Mountains on its so ...

, is enshrined in either

Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park is located in the northern portion of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 698, 659 hectares and encompasses the Spatsizi River and Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve. The park is a designated protected a ...

or Spatsizi Headwaters Provincial Park. It is flanked on the south and southwest by the

Skeena Mountains The Skeena Mountains, also known as the Skeenas, are a subrange of the Interior Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada, essentially flanking the upper basin of the Skeena River. They lie just inland from the southern end of the Boundary ...

, on the southeast by the

Omineca Mountains The Omineca Mountains, also known as "the Ominecas", are a group of remote mountain ranges in the Boreal Cordillera of north-central British Columbia, Canada. They are bounded by the Finlay River on the north, the Rocky Mountain Trench (here fil ...

, on the northeast by the

Stikine Ranges The Stikine Ranges are a group of mountain ranges and mountainous plateaus in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. They are the northernmost subdivision of the Cassiar Mountains and among the least explored and most undeveloped parts of the pro ...

of the

Cassiar Mountains The Cassiar Mountains () are the most northerly group of the Northern Interior Mountains in the Canadian province of British Columbia and also extend slightly into the southernmost Yukon Territory. They lie north and west of the Omineca Mountain ...

, and on the west by the Klastline Plateau (another subplateau of the Stikine Plateau).

Name

The name is an adaptation of a phrase in the

Sekani language The Sekani language or Tse’khene is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by 135 of the Sekani people of north-central British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten pro ...

meaning "red goat", a reference to the habit of mountain goats in the area rolling on a particular red-coloured mountain, turning their coats red (''tspah''=goat, ''tsije''=red).

Geology and terrain

The plateau is a large

lava plateau A volcanic plateau is a plateau produced by volcanic activity. There are two main types: lava plateaus and pyroclastic plateaus. Lava plateau Lava plateaus are formed by highly fluid basaltic lava during numerous successive eruptions throug ...

, dissected by river valleys, and contains various small mountain ranges. Both the Stikine and

Spatsizi River The Spatsizi River is a tributary of the Stikine River, rising near Mount Gunanoot in the southeastern Spatsizi Plateau, British Columbia. Etymology "Spatsizi" is a phrase from the Sekani language meaning "red goat", a reference to the habit of ...

s have their sources in the plateau.

Climate

The climate of the plateau, which is of high altitude, is sub-arctic in nature. Isolated from the moisture of the Pacific Ocean by successive walls of mountains and other plateaus, the Spatsizi is semi-arid in many areas.

Fauna

The Spatsizi Plateau is the range of the largest remaining herd of

woodland caribou Woodland caribou may refer to two North American reindeer (''Rangifer tarandus'') populations: * Boreal woodland caribou * Migratory woodland caribou See also * Woodland Caribou Provincial Park Woodland Caribou Provincial Park is a provincia ...

. Other fauna in the area include

mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a cloven-footed mammal that is endemic to the remote and rugged mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to truly alpine species, it is a s ...

moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

grizzlies Grizzlies may refer to: *Grizzly bears Sports ; Sports teams named after the grizzly bear: United States: * Memphis Grizzlies, a National Basketball Association team in Memphis, Tennessee * Fresno Grizzlies, a Triple-A minor league baseball team b ...

and

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

References

* Plateaus of British Columbia Stikine Country Lava plateaus Volcanism of British Columbia {{BritishColumbiaInterior-geo-stub