Capilano River
The Capilano River, flowing north to south through the Coast Mountains, is located just to the north of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and empties into English Bay, opposite Stanley Park. The river is one of three primary sources of drinking water for residents of Greater Vancouver. The Cleveland Dam impounds a reservoir for this purpose.
The Capilano has a historic salmon run which was impacted by the dam construction. A hatchery was built 1/2 km downstream of the dam to ensure the survival of the run.
The river flows through coastal rainforest and, in its lower stretches, follows a striking granite canyon with walls in excess of 40 metres tall in places.
The Capilano flows during periods of snow melt and rainfall only and is predominantly dry for the summer months and often in winter.
Recreation
Commonly seen when the river is running are the colourful boats and apparel of whitewater kayakers as the river becomes a prime destination located just ten minutes from downtown. The river is rated as class III though at high water it can be much more challenging. A kayaker was killed in high water on the Capilano as recently as 1998.
A Regional Park adjacent to the fish hatchery provides several kilometers of scenic, easy to moderate hiking trails alongside the river.