Artifact Creek

Artifact Creek
Mouth of Artifact Creek
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictCassiar Land District
Physical characteristics
SourceNear Kitsu Peak
  locationSpectrum Range
  coordinates57°26′50″N 130°41′12″W / 57.44722°N 130.68667°W / 57.44722; -130.68667
  elevation1,875 m (6,152 ft)
MouthStewbomb Creek
  coordinates
57°25′17″N 130°31′52″W / 57.42139°N 130.53111°W / 57.42139; -130.53111
  elevation
1,140 m (3,740 ft)
Length13 km (8.1 mi)
Basin size42.5 km2 (16.4 sq mi)
Discharge 
  average1.62 m3/s (57 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Topo mapNTS 104G7 Mess Lake

Artifact Creek is a tributary of Stewbomb Creek and part of the Stikine River watershed in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It flows generally southeast for roughly 13 km (8.1 mi) 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 42.5 km2 (16.4 sq mi) and is entirely in Mount Edziza Provincial Park. The creek's mean annual discharge is estimated at 1.62 m3/s (57 cu ft/s).

The mouth of Artifact Creek is located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, about 118 km (73 mi) south of Dease Lake, British Columbia, and about 250 km (160 mi) southeast of Juneau, Alaska. Artifact Creek's watershed's land cover is classified as 51.4% barren, 15.3% shrubland, 14.5% herbaceous, 10.3% conifer forest, 8.2% snow/glacier, and small amounts of other cover.

Artifact Creek is in Mount Edziza Provincial Park, which lies within the traditional territory of the Tahltan First Nation, of the Tahltan people.

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 obsidian tools and points by early Tahltan hunters.