All paths lead to the pontoons.
Located at the centre of the Tlell watershed, the pontoons are a gathering place for an entire ecosystem. Elk, deer, songbirds, migratory birds, fish, bears, and most of all, water converge at the heart of one of Haida Gwaii's largest watersheds. The pontoons are nine kilometres long, three wide, and cover an area of 18,000 hectares. The Leila, Survey, Three Mile, and Feather Creek sub-basins all empty into the vast bog where their waters meet and mingle before beginning the final journey down the lower Tlell River to the saltwater of Hecate Strait. Water collecting at the upper reaches of the watershed after heavy rains won't reach the river's mouth until two days later, and it's the pontoons which cause the delay.