Liard River

LIARD RIVER  () , 1,115 km long, originates in the Yukon's Pelly Mts and flows into BC just southeast of Watson Lake. The BC section, about 250 km long, is followed by the ALASKA HWY for much of its route before winding eastward around the top of the ROCKY MTS and north into the Northwest Territories. Eventually it joins the Mackenzie R at FORT SIMPSON. Its main tributaries in BC include the Dease, KECHIKA, Coal, Toad, and Fort Nelson rivers. The Liard flows through the territory of the KASKA First Nations, draining a watershed in BC of 1,434.07 sq km. The FUR TRADE arrived on the river in 1829 when the HBC established FORT HALKETT. It was surveyed for the Geological Survey by R.G. McConnell in 1887 and used by prospectors heading for the Klondike GOLD RUSH in 1897 and 1898, but it was not until construction of the Alaska Hwy during WWII that outsiders in any number had access to the river. Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park (9.76 sq km) is located where the highway meets the river from the south. It is named for a species of poplar growing on its banks.
Reading: Ferdi Wenger, Wild Liard Waters, 1998.