Elk River estuary at Baynes Lake, East Kootenay

The Elk River at highway 93 in Koocanusa.
The Elk River originates from the Elk Lakes near the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains.[5] It flows through the Elk Valley in a southwesterly direction, joining the Kootenay River in Lake Koocanusa, just north of the British Columbia-Montana border. Its waters ultimately join the Columbia River and flow towards the Pacific Ocean.
The Elk River runs through the communities of Elkford, Sparwood, Hosmer, Fernie, and Elko.