The Fraser River gathers waters and sediment from nearly one-quarter of British Columbia. As the river leaves the narrow confines of the Fraser Canyon at Hope, it spreads out, loses energy, and drops the coarsest of its sediment load. Deposits of coarse sand and gravel form numerous islands in the river between Hope and Mission. At Mission, the gradient of the river decreases, and the flow can carry only sand, silt, and clay. West of Mission, the Fraser River flows in a single channel with few islands. The river splits into several channels below New Westminster. These channels cross a delta constructed over the last 10,000 years.

Photo #9	View north across Pitt Meadows to Pitt Lake and the southern Coast Mountains. The floodplain in the foreground formed over the last 5000 years as the Fraser River built a delta northward into Pitt Lake. This process continues today -- the flow of the Pitt River reverses when the level of the Fraser River is high, and sediment moves northward up the Pitt River into Pitt Lake. Pitt Lake occupies a deep, U-shaped valley that was partially excavated by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Photo #19	Fraser River near Fort Langley; view upstream from McMillan Island. The river here has a relatively stable, somewhat winding channel with few large islands; it transports only sand, silt, and clay; and its channel is floored with sand. Dykes prevent flooding of the surrounding low-lying floodplain.
Photo #20	Hatzic Lake, just east of Mission, is a classic example of an oxbow lake. The lake occupies an old meander channel (oxbow) of the Fraser River. Hundreds of years ago, the river abandoned this crescent-shaped channel and began to flow along its present route. Over time, the ends of the oxbow gradually became plugged with Fraser River sediment, creating Hatzic Lake.
Photo #21	Fraser River near Chilliwack, looking downstream. Islands of gravel and sand within the river can support only fast-growing deciduous trees such as cottonwood because the islands shift and are regularly flooded. Dykes protect communities on the flats north and south of the river from flooding. Sumas and Chilliwack Mountains are bedrock ridges.
Photo #30	Mouth of the Fraser River; view south from the vicinity of the Vancouver International Airport. The river flows into the Strait of Georgia here, ending its 1400 km odyssey. River-borne sand, silt, and clay are distributed by currents, waves, and the river itself to form an intricate network of tidal flats, islands, and channels.
Photo #31	Apex of the Fraser delta at New Westminster. The Fraser River splits here into two distributary channels, the North Arm and Main Channel. This reach of the river is heavily industrialized -- the Main Channel has been deepened by dredging to allow ships access to New Westminster; logs are temporarily stored in booms; and mills and homes crowd the river banks. The Fraser delta, home to 200,000 people, is only 1 to 2 m above mean sea level.