{{Short description|Tribuatary river in the country of Canada}} {{Infobox river | name = Artifact Creek | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = | image_caption = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = British Columbia | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = Mouth of Artifact Creek <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = [[Canada]] | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = [[British Columbia]] | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 = [[Cassiar Land District]] | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length = {{convert|13|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=length/> | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = {{convert|1.62|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name=watertool/> | discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = Near [[Kitsu Peak]] | source1_location = [[Spectrum Range]] | source1_coordinates = {{coord|57|26|50|N|130|41|12|W|display=inline}}<ref>Derived from BCGNIS, topographic maps, and [https://atlas.gc.ca/toporama/en/index.html Toporama]</ref> | source1_elevation = {{convert|1875|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=toporama/> | mouth = [[Stewbomb Creek]] | mouth_location = | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|57|25|17|N|130|31|52|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name=bcgnis/><ref name=toporama/> | mouth_elevation = {{convert|1140|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=toporama/> | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|42.5|km2|abbr=on}}<ref name=watertool/> | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = [[Topographic map|Topo map]] | custom_data = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|104|G|7}} | extra = }} '''Artifact Creek''' is a [[tributary]] of [[Stewbomb Creek]] and part of the [[Stikine River]] [[drainage basin|watershed]] in northwest part of the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province]] of [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]].<ref name=bcgnis>{{BCGNIS|9263|Artifact Creek}}</ref><ref>{{cite cgndb|id=JAQLI|title=Artifact Creek}}</ref> It flows generally southeast for roughly {{convert|13|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref name=length>Lengths and distances measured using BCGNIS coordinates, topographic maps, online map servers, and [https://atlas.gc.ca/toporama/en/index.html Toporama]</ref> to join Stewbomb Creek, which flows into the [[Little Iskut River]]. In turn the Little Iskut River flows to the [[Iskut River]], the largest tributary of the Stikine River.
Artifact Creek's watershed covers {{convert|42.5|km2|abbr=on}} and is entirely in [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]]. The creek's mean annual [[Discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] is estimated at {{convert|1.62|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name=watertool>{{cite web |url= https://nwwt.bcwatertool.ca |title= Northwest Water Tool |work= BC Water Tool |publisher= GeoBC, Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Government of British Columbia |accessdate= 4 October 2023}}</ref>
The mouth of Artifact Creek is located about {{convert|65|km|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Telegraph Creek]], British Columbia, about {{convert|118|km|abbr=on}} south of [[Dease Lake]], British Columbia, and about {{convert|250|km|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Juneau, Alaska]].<ref name=length/> Artifact Creek's watershed's [[land cover]] is classified as 51.4% [[Barren vegetation|barren]], 15.3% [[shrubland]], 14.5% [[Herbaceous plant|herbaceous]], 10.3% [[Conifer|conifer forest]], 8.2% [[snow]]/[[glacier]], and small amounts of other cover.<ref name=watertool/>
Artifact Creek is in [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]], which lies within the traditional territory of the [[Tahltan First Nation]], of the [[Tahltan]] people.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://tahltan.org/our-territory |title= Our Territory |publisher= Tahltan Central Government |accessdate= 29 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://tahltan.ca/nation/territory |title= Dah Ki Mi — "Our House" |publisher= Tahltan Band Council |accessdate= 29 September 2023}}</ref>
The name of Artifact Creek and nearby [[Artifact Ridge]] and [[Obsidian Ridge]] comes from the abundant piles of stone chips left from the [[knapping]] of [[Edziza obsidian|obsidian]] tools and points by early Tahltan hunters.<ref name=bcgnis/><ref>{{BCGNIS|9265|Artifact Ridge}}</ref>
==Geography== Artifact Creek originates near [[Kitsu Peak]], about {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Mount Edziza]]. It flows east and southeast between [[Obsidian Ridge]] to the south and [[Artifact Ridge]] to the north. It collects various small unnamed tributary streams before emptying into Stewbomb Creek about {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}} upstream from Stewbomb's confluence with the Little Iskut River.<ref name=toporama>{{cite web |url= http://atlas.gc.ca/toporama/en/index.html |title= Toporama (on-line map and search) |work= [[Atlas of Canada]] |publisher= [[Natural Resources Canada]] |accessdate= 28 September 2023}}</ref><ref name=mapbook>{{cite book |last1= Mussio |first1= Russell |last2= Mussio |first2= Wesley |title= Northern BC Backroad Mapbook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pBAFEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA99 |accessdate= 28 September 2023 |date= 2018 |publisher= Mussio Ventures |isbn= 978-1-926806-87-7 |page= 99}}</ref>
==Geology== The north side of Artifact Creek is bounded by a {{convert|180|m|ft|adj=mid|-thick|abbr=on}} sequence of lava flows belonging to the [[Armadillo Formation]] of the [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex]]. A single {{convert|9|m|ft|adj=mid|-thick|abbr=on}} [[ash flow]] deposit also belonging to the Armadillo Formation is exposed on the south side of Artifact Creek. Along the north side of Artifact Creek are two poorly exposed, low, northeasterly trending ridges of [[trachybasalt]] that may be [[intrusion]]s linked to the [[Little Iskut Formation|Little Iskut]] conduit system.<ref>{{cite report|last1=Souther|first1=J. G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|title=The Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia|work=[[Geological Survey of Canada]]|publisher=Canada Communication Group|series=Memoir 420|year=1992|pages=64, 71|isbn=0-660-14407-7|doi=10.4095/133497|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==See also== *[[List of rivers of British Columbia]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Rivers of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex}} {{Mount Edziza volcanic complex}}
[[Category:Cassiar Land District]] [[Category:Rivers of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex]] [[Category:Stikine Country]] [[Category:Tahltan]] [[Category:Mount Edziza Provincial Park]] [[Category:Spectrum Range]]