The Stikine 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 northern

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 ...

. It lies between the

Boundary Ranges The Boundary Ranges, also known in the singular and as the Alaska Boundary Range, are the largest and most northerly subrange of the Coast Mountains. They begin at the Nass River, near the southern end of the Alaska Panhandle in the Canadian pro ...

of the

Coast Mountains The Coast Mountains () are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the British Columbia Coast, Coast of British Columbia sout ...

on the west and southwest and the Cassiar Mountains along its northeast, and between the Skeena Mountains on its south and southeast and the

Jennings Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...

and Nakina Rivers on the north.

Sub-plateaus and mountain ranges

The plateau has a number of sub-plateaus:''Map of the Canadian Cordillera''
ancillary document t
''Landforms of British Columbia'', S. Holland, Bulletin 48, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Resources, BC Govt, 1976
*the Spatsizi Plateau is the southeasternmost and occupies the area between the Skeena Mountains and includes the headwaters of the Stikine River and the basin of the Spatsizi River. *the Tanzilla Plateau lies north of the Stikine River and to the east of the

Tuya River The Tuya River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. From its source at High Tuya Lake in Tuya Mountains Provincial Park just south of Ash Mountain, the highest peak of the Tuy ...

and includes the basin of the Tanzilla River and the headwaters of the Dease River around Dease Lake and the community of the same name. The upper portion of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine, a lava-walled gorge which is cut into the larger Stikine Plateau by that river, begins on the southern edge of this plateau downstream from the community of Telegraph Creek. *the Klastline Plateau lies south of the Stikine River to the north of the Klappan Range of the Skeena Mountains and includes the headwaters of the Iskut River. The communities of Eddontenajon and Iskut are located on this plateau, which is traversed by BC Highway 37 from north to south. *the

Nahlin Plateau The Nahlin Plateau is a plateau in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located between the Sheslay River and Tuya River on the west and east and the Nahlin River and the Stikine River to the north and south. It is a subplateau of the Stikine P ...

lies west of the

, north of the Tahltan River, southwest of the Sheslay River and southwest of the Nahlin River; both of the latter are in the basin of the

Taku River The Taku River (Tlingit language, Lingít: ''T'aaḵu Héeni'') is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. The river basin spreads across . The Taku is a very productive salmon ...

, via the Inklin. It includes Heart Peaks and the Level Mountain Range, the latter of which is a cluster of bare volcanic peaks on the broad summit of Level Mountain. *the Kawdy Plateau lies to the north of the Nahlin River, to the west of the Tuya River and includes the low but rugged Atsutla Range, which lies in the angle of the

and Teslin Rivers. *the Taku Plateau lies to the west of the Nahlin and Kawdy Plateaus and is located roughly in the angle of the Nakina and Inklin Rivers, though including areas on the far side of the lower sections of both rivers. *the

Tahltan Highland The Tahltan Highland is an upland area of plateau and relatively lower mountain ranges in British Columbia, Canada, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River (the east fork of the Taku River). Its eastern boundary is formed ...

, which may also be considered to be a part of the

, is an intermediary area of relatively lower mountains between the Boundary Ranges and the Taku and Nahlin Plateaus, being bounded roughly by the Inklin and Tahltan Rivers on its northeast flank. It also includes a large area south of the Stikine, including the Mount Edziza massif and the Spectrum Range. Its southern limit is described by a pass between upper Mess Creek and the valley of the Iskut River to the south of the Spectrum Range, and it is bounded at its southeastern extremity by the Iskut, across which is the Klappan Range of the Skeena Mountains.

References

{{Plateaus and highlands of British Columbia , state= expanded Stikine Country Cassiar Country

Sub-plateaus and mountain ranges

See also

References