Fort Nelson River
Encyclopedia
The Fort Nelson River is located in north-eastern British Columbia
, Canada
. It flows 517 km generally north-westward to the Liard River
, a tributary of the Mackenzie River
, which empties into the Arctic Ocean
. The river drains a watershed of 55,900 square kilometers and is formed by the confluence of the Fontas River
flowing from the east, and the Sikanni Chief River
flowing from the south. These, along with the Sahtaneh and Muskwa
Rivers constitute the major tributaries. The source of the Sikanni Chief, on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains
, is ultimately the headwater of the Fort Nelson River.
The land through which the river flows is generally flat, a mixture of boreal forests and muskeg
. The area is rich in wildlife, and forestry and mining (especially oil and gas) are major industries.
and Sekani
First Nations
used it for food and trade. The river itself is named for the town of Fort Nelson
, established in 1805 by the North West Company
as a fur trading
post near the river's junction with the Muskwa River
. With Fort Nelson's relocation to the west following the construction of the Alaska Highway
in the 1940s, there are no longer any major communities along this river.
The Fort Nelson River is formed at the confluence of Sikanni Chief River
and Fontas River
, at an elevation of 360 metres (1,181.1 ft). It flows north-west and north, while the course is paralleled by BC Rail tracks north of Fontas. It receives waters from the Elleh Creek and Klua Creek, then follows a north-west direction, a short distance from Andy Bailey Provincial Park
. It turns again north near Fort Nelson
, where the Muskwa River
flows into the Fort Nelson River.
Further north it receives the McConachie
Creek, Cridland Creek and Sahtaneh River, which also carries waters from the Snake River. It then turns north-west and west, where it receives the Shush Creek, Onion Creek, Tsimeh Creek, Stanolind Creek and Kiwigana River. It is then crossed by the Liard Highway and continues westwards, receiving waters from Tsoo Creek, Etane Creek, Obole Creek and Capot-Blanc Creek. It flows into the Liard River
at Nelson Forks, at an elevation of 260 metres (853 ft).
Its waters are carried through the Liard River and Mackenzie River
into the Arctic Ocean
.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It flows 517 km generally north-westward to the Liard River
Liard River
The Liard River flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the Rocky Mountains and then curving northeast back...
, a tributary of the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
, which empties into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. The river drains a watershed of 55,900 square kilometers and is formed by the confluence of the Fontas River
Fontas River
The Fontas River, originally Fantasque's River, after the name of a chief of the Sekani people, is a river in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, having its origin in northwestern Alberta, Canada...
flowing from the east, and the Sikanni Chief River
Sikanni Chief River
The Sikanni Chief River is a river in the Northern Rocky Mountains region of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It joins the Fontas River to form the Fort Nelson River southeast of the town of Fort Nelson. Its headwaters are near Mount McCusker, northeast of the head of the Finlay...
flowing from the south. These, along with the Sahtaneh and Muskwa
Muskwa River
The Muskwa River flows 257 km through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north,...
Rivers constitute the major tributaries. The source of the Sikanni Chief, on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, is ultimately the headwater of the Fort Nelson River.
The land through which the river flows is generally flat, a mixture of boreal forests and muskeg
Muskeg
Muskeg is an acidic soil type common in Arctic and boreal areas, although it is found in other northern climates as well. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bogland but muskeg is the standard term in Western Canada and Alaska, while 'bog' is common elsewhere. The term is of Cree origin, maskek...
. The area is rich in wildlife, and forestry and mining (especially oil and gas) are major industries.
History
The river has a rich history. The DeneDene
The Dene are an aboriginal group of First Nations who live in the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dené speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people" . The term "Dene" has two usages...
and Sekani
Sekani
Sekani is the name of an Athabaskan First Nations people in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The neighbors of the Sekani are the Babine to the west, Dakelh to the south, Dunneza to the east, and...
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
used it for food and trade. The river itself is named for the town of Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson, British Columbia
Fort Nelson is a town of approximately 5000 residents in British Columbia's northeastern corner. It is the administrative centre of the newly formed Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, a first for BC. The majority of Fort Nelson's economic activities have historically been concentrated in the...
, established in 1805 by the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
as a fur trading
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
post near the river's junction with the Muskwa River
Muskwa River
The Muskwa River flows 257 km through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north,...
. With Fort Nelson's relocation to the west following the construction of the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
in the 1940s, there are no longer any major communities along this river.
The Fort Nelson River is formed at the confluence of Sikanni Chief River
Sikanni Chief River
The Sikanni Chief River is a river in the Northern Rocky Mountains region of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It joins the Fontas River to form the Fort Nelson River southeast of the town of Fort Nelson. Its headwaters are near Mount McCusker, northeast of the head of the Finlay...
and Fontas River
Fontas River
The Fontas River, originally Fantasque's River, after the name of a chief of the Sekani people, is a river in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, having its origin in northwestern Alberta, Canada...
, at an elevation of 360 metres (1,181.1 ft). It flows north-west and north, while the course is paralleled by BC Rail tracks north of Fontas. It receives waters from the Elleh Creek and Klua Creek, then follows a north-west direction, a short distance from Andy Bailey Provincial Park
Andy Bailey Provincial Park
Andy Bailey Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located 28 kilometres southeast of Fort Nelson, British Columbia. The park is 196 hectares in size and aims to protect black and white spruce forests, moose, beavers, foxes and songbirds.-Name origin:Andy Bailey Lake is...
. It turns again north near Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson, British Columbia
Fort Nelson is a town of approximately 5000 residents in British Columbia's northeastern corner. It is the administrative centre of the newly formed Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, a first for BC. The majority of Fort Nelson's economic activities have historically been concentrated in the...
, where the Muskwa River
Muskwa River
The Muskwa River flows 257 km through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north,...
flows into the Fort Nelson River.
Further north it receives the McConachie
Grant McConachie
George William Grant McConachie was a Canadian bush pilot and businessman who became CEO of Canadian Pacific Airlines ....
Creek, Cridland Creek and Sahtaneh River, which also carries waters from the Snake River. It then turns north-west and west, where it receives the Shush Creek, Onion Creek, Tsimeh Creek, Stanolind Creek and Kiwigana River. It is then crossed by the Liard Highway and continues westwards, receiving waters from Tsoo Creek, Etane Creek, Obole Creek and Capot-Blanc Creek. It flows into the Liard River
Liard River
The Liard River flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the Rocky Mountains and then curving northeast back...
at Nelson Forks, at an elevation of 260 metres (853 ft).
Its waters are carried through the Liard River and Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
.
Tributaries
From headwaters to mouth, the Fort Nelson River receives the following tributaries:- Sikanni Chief RiverSikanni Chief RiverThe Sikanni Chief River is a river in the Northern Rocky Mountains region of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It joins the Fontas River to form the Fort Nelson River southeast of the town of Fort Nelson. Its headwaters are near Mount McCusker, northeast of the head of the Finlay...
- Fontas RiverFontas RiverThe Fontas River, originally Fantasque's River, after the name of a chief of the Sekani people, is a river in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, having its origin in northwestern Alberta, Canada...
- Elleh Creek
- Klua Creek
- Muskwa RiverMuskwa RiverThe Muskwa River flows 257 km through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north,...
- McConachieGrant McConachieGeorge William Grant McConachie was a Canadian bush pilot and businessman who became CEO of Canadian Pacific Airlines ....
Creek - Cridland Creek
- Snake River
- Hoffard Creek
- Chuatse Creek
- Utahn Creek
- Sahtaneh River
- Lichen Creek
- Gunnell Creek
- Courvoisier Creek
- Komie Creek
- Shush Creek
- Onion Creek
- Tsimeh Creek
- Stanolind Creek
- Kiwigana River
- Tsoo Creek
- Etane Creek
- Obole Creek
- Capot-Blanc Creek