TheLiard River of theNorth American boreal forest flows throughYukon,British Columbia and theNorthwest Territories, Canada. Rising in theSaint Cyr Range of thePelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows 1,115 km (693 mi) southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of theRocky Mountains and then curving northeast back into Yukon and Northwest Territories, draining into theMackenzie River atFort Simpson, Northwest Territories. The river drains approximately 277,100 km2 (107,000 sq mi) ofboreal forest andmuskeg.[1]
The river habitats are a subsection of the Lower Mackenzie Freshwater Ecoregion. The area around the river in Yukon is called theLiard River Valley, and theAlaska Highway follows the river for part of its route. This surrounding area is also referred to as theLiard Plain, and is a physiographic section of the larger Yukon–Tanana Uplands province, which in turn is part of the largerIntermontane Plateaus physiographic division.
The Liard River is a crossing area forNahanniwood bison.[2]
To theKaska Dena people who live upon the upper reach of the river in Yukon and north-west British Columbia, the Indigenous name for the river is Nêtʼił Tué', which means Hanging Down River in theKaska language. The name comes from a particularly narrow spot near the river's headwaters, where Kaska people used to set goat snares. The "hanging down" - "Nêtʼił" part of the name refers to the snares. The origin of the river's name in mainstream use today is obscure, but is derived from the French word for "Eastern Cottonwood" (a kind ofpoplar) which grow in abundance along sections of the river. Among the earlyfur traders, who traveled the river corridor the Liard above theFort Nelson River was referred to as the "West Branch," while the Fort Nelson River was the "East Branch."
The first European to traverse most of the river wasJohn McLeod of theHudson's Bay Company (HBC). LeavingFort Simpson on June 28, 1831, McLeod and eight others ascended the river, reaching and naming theDease River in just over six weeks. Four days later, they reached theFrances River, and mistakenly ascended it, thinking it was the Liard's main branch. Nine years later, another HBC employee,Robert Campbell, journeyed to the source of the Liard in the St. Cyr Range, renaming the river McLeod had ascended for Frances Ramsay Simpson, the wife of theSir George Simpson, the HBC's governor who had authorised both expeditions.
The entire Yukon and British Columbia's portion of the river corridor is claimed to be the traditional unceded territory of the Kaska Dena, who have lived in much of the area for thousands of years and claim it as their rightful home. This claim is contested by both theSouth SlaveyAcho Dene Koe First Nation and Fort Nelson First Nation who count among their memberships the former residents of communities along the Liard along its length in north-east BC east of the Rocky Mountains, like Nelson Forks, La Jolie Butte, and Francois, where the Acho Dene Koe signedTreaty 11. Their descendants still live and hunt in the area to this day. Despite Kaska Dene claims, much of the area has been recognized as Fort Nelson and Acho Dene Koe First Nation territory ceded underTreaty 8 and 11 since 1910 and 1922 respectively.
No permanent communities remain on the Liard River between the Rocky Mountains andFort Liard. A combination of factors led to their decline, the spread of sicknesses like theSpanish flu said to be spread from river traffic travelling up the Liard River via the Northwest Territories hampered the indigenous population in the early 20th century as thefur trade continued to decline. The opening of theAlaska Highway in 1942 and later theLiard Highway in 1984 ended the reliance upon the river and its tributaries for travel and opened north-east BC to industrial development. The discovery ofoil and natural gas in the 1950s and the establishment of a local logging industry led to rapid migration of the local South Slavey indigenous population either north, toFort Liard or south, toFort Nelson. While no longer living on the river year round, these peoples and their descendants continue to maintain smaller family based camps and trapping cabins along the river's length. Sometimes this takes place on the grounds of the defunct villages, such as at Francois, where they continue to maintain their traditional ways on their traditional territory to this day.
The Liard River originates in south-eastern part of theYukon, on the slopes of Mount Lewis, at61°14′12″N131°37′39″W / 61.23667°N 131.62750°W /61.23667; -131.62750, at an elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). It flows south and east, between the ranges ofPelly Mountains, then south through the Yukon Plateau, where it receives the waters of Prospect Creek. It turns east after it receives the waters of the Caribou Creek from Caribou Lakes, then the Swede and Junkers Creek. It then follows the southern rim of the St. Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains, where the Ings River flows into it. It follows the southern edge of the Simpson Range, receiving the waters of the Old Gold Creek, Rainbow Creek, Dome Creek, Quartz Creek and Scurvy Creek. The Liard River continues south-east, north of theCassiar Mountains, from where it receives the Sayyea Creek and Cabin Creek while the Eckman Creek, Black River and Hasselberg Creek flow in from the north. It continues in a south-east direction, receiving the Sambo Creek, False Pass Creek, Meister River, Frances River, Rancheria River, Tom Creek, Watson Creek and Albert Creek before it flows throughUpper Liard, west ofWatson Lake, where it is crossed by the Alaska Highway. It receives the waters of Cormier Creek, then flows through the Liard Canyon and intoBritish Columbia.
It flows south-east and east along the Alaska Highway, receiving the waters of Dease River, Kloye Creek, Trepanier Creek and Black Angus Creek. It continues east through the Dease Forest, where it receives the waters of the Hyland River south ofHyland River Provincial Park, then receives the Malcolm Creek, Tatisno Creek and Nustlo Creek. It flows along the Yukon border, where the Alaska Highway once again follows the Liard and receives the Cosh Creek, Contact Creek, Scoby Creek and Sandin Brook, then turns south around Mount Sandin, receiving water from Tsia Creek, Tsinitla Creek, Tatzille Creek and Leguil Creek. It turns eastwards along the northern margin of the Liard Plateau, where it receives theKechika River near Skooks Landing, Niloil Creek from Niloil Lake and Coal River byCoal River. It continues east and south-east, south of Mount Reid, still followed by the Alaska Highway, receiving the waters of Geddes Creek, Grant Creek, Smith River, Lapie Creek, Teeter Creek, Mould Creek and Hoole Creek.
It enters theLiard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, where theTrout River empties into the Liard. Alaska Highway runs south along the Trout River, while the Liard flows east through theLiard River Corridor Provincial Park and Protected Area, south of theSentinel Range of theMuskwa Ranges, receiving the waters of Deer River and Canyon Creek in theGrand Canyon of the Liard. It continues south-east between the Barricade Range and Mount Rothenberg of the Sentinel Range, where the Moule Creek and Sulphur Creek flow in the Liard. It flows east, out of theNorthern Rockies and through the foothills, where it receives waters from the Brimstone Creek, Crusty Creek, Grayling River, Graybank Creek and Toad River. It turns north-west, receiving the waters from Garbutt Creek, Lepine Creek, Chimney Creek, Ruthie Creek, Scatter River and Beaver River. It then turns south-east, receives the waters from Catkin Creek, Dunedin River andFort Nelson River. From here it turns north, receiving the waters of Zus Creek, Sandy Creek andLa Biche River and crosses into theNorthwest Territories, immediately east of the Yukon border.
The Liard River continues north, receiving the waters of Big Island Creek,Kotaneelee River andPetitot River. It turns around Mount Coty of theFranklin Mountains nearFort Liard Airfield, where it meets theLiard Highway. It receives the waters of the Muskeg River, Rabbit Creek and Flett Creek as it flows east of the Liard Range and Mount Flett. The Liard meanders east of the Sawmill Mountain and receives waters from the Beaver Water Creek, Netla River and Bay Creek. After receiving the waters ofSouth Nahanni River south ofNahanni Butte and east of theNahanni National Park Reserve, the Liard turns east and north-east, receiving waters from Grainger River, Blackstone River, Dehdjida Creek, Matou River, Birch River and Poplar River. It then turns north, being followed by theMackenzie Highway, and receives the Manners Creek before it empties into theMackenzie River, immediately upstream of Fort Simpson, atClay Point, at an elevation of 120 meters (390 ft). The Truesdell Island and Franklin-Clarke Island are formed at the river mouth.
From headwater to mouth, the tributaries of the Liard are:
From mouth to headwater, communities along the river include:
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