The North Thompson drains a somewhat larger area than the South Thompson, having an average flow of about 427 cubic metres per second, while its maximum flow is around 2,740 cubic metres per second. Together, as the Thompson River, they become the largest tributary of the Fraser River.
The South Thompson, though only 55 km. long, is a large river as it originates at Little Shuswap Lake at the town of Chase, which is fed by many mountain streams to the north and east, draining a fairly large area of 18,000 square kilometres. Its average flow is about 292 cubic metres per second, while its maximum flow is around 1,610 cubic metres per second.
The best, and easiest, view of the rivers is from the beach at Riverside Park on the south side of the river, which is almost directly opposite the confluence.
The South Thompson emerges from under the CPR Bridge, merging with the North Thompson in the centre, looking north, forming the Thompson River, to the west.
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