Liard River
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Sardanaphalus
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{{dablink|For other uses of "Liard", see [[Liard (disambiguation)]].}}
{{Infobox River
| river_name = Liard River
| image_name =
| caption =
| origin =Pelly Mountains
| mouth =Mackenzie River
| basin_countries = [[Canada]]
| length =1,115 km (693 miles)
| elevation =
| mouth_elevation =
| discharge =
| watershed =
}}
The '''Liard River''' flows through the [[Yukon]] Territory, [[British Columbia]] and the [[Northwest Territories]], [[Canada]]. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the [[Pelly Mountains]] in southeastern [[Yukon]], it flows 1,115 km (693 miles) southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the [[Rocky Mountains]] and then curving northeast back into the Yukon and Northwest Territories, draining into the [[Mackenzie River]] at [[Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories|Fort Simpson]], Northwest Territories. The river drains approximately 277,100 square kilometres of [[boreal]] forest and [[muskeg]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9048105/Liard-River#202593.hook |title=Liard River |publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia |accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref>
The river habitats are a subsection of the Lower Mackenzie Freshwater Ecoregion. The area around the river in the Yukon Territory is called the ''Liard River Valley'', and the [[Alaska Highway]] follows the river for part of its route. This surrounding area is also referred to as the '''Liard Plain''', and is a physiographic section of the larger Yukon-Tanana Uplands province, which in turn is part of the larger [[Intermontane Plateaus]] physiographic division.
The Liard River is a crossing area for [[Nahanni]] [[wood bison]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic56-4-408.pdf |title=Observations of Wood Bison Swimming across the Liard River, Northwest Territories, Canada |publisher=Arctic, VOL 56, NO. 4, P. 408-412 |author=N.C. Larter, J.S. Nishi, T. Ellsworth, D. Johnson, G. More, D.G. Allaire |date=December 2003 |accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref>
==History of Exploration==
{{TOCright}}
The origin of the river's name is obscure, but is derived from the French word for "[[poplar]]", which grow in abundance along sections of the river. Among the early [[fur trade|fur traders]], the Liard above the [[Fort 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 was [[John McLeod]] of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. Leaving [[Fort Simpson]] on June 28, 1831, McLeod and eight others ascended the river, reaching and naming the [[Dease River]] in just over six weeks. Four days later, they reached the [[Frances River]], and mistankenly ascended it, thinking it was the Liard's main branch. Nine years later, another HBC employee - [[Robert Campbell (fur trader)|Robert Campbell]] - journeyed to the source of the Liard in the [[St. Cyr Range]], re-naming the river McLeod had ascended for Frances Ramsay Simpson, the wife of the [[George Simpson (administrator)|Sir George Simpson]], the HBC's governor who had authorised both expeditions.
==Features of the River==
*The '''Grand Canyon of the Liard''' is a spectacular 30 km stretch of the river beginning just east of the Liard River Hotsprings. It contains numerous class IV and higher rapids.
*'''[[Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park|Liard River Hotsprings]]''' is a popular tourist attraction located at kilometre 765 of the Alaska Highway.
*The historic '''Liard River Suspension Bridge''', built in 1944, is located at kilometre 798 of the Alaska Highway.
==Major Tributaries==
<div style="float:right;border:1px silver solid;">
{{Superimpose
| base = Major Rivers in West Canada.png
| base_width = 280px
| base_caption = Western Canada rivers
| float = Map symbol-pin.gif
| float_width = 20px
| float_caption = Liard River
| x = 133
| y = 0
}}
<center><small>Liard River in western Canada</small></center>
</div>
From mouth to headwater, the major tributaries of the Liard are:
*[[South Nahanni River]]
*[[Muskeg River]]
*[[Petitot River]]
*[[Kotaneelee River]]
*[[Fort Nelson River]]
*[[Kechika River]]
*[[Dease River]]
*[[Frances River]]
==Communities Along the Liard==
From mouth to headwater, communities along the river include:
*[[Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories]]
*[[Fort Liard, Northwest Territories]]
*[[Liard River, British Columbia]]
*[[Lower Post, British Columbia]]
*[[Watson Lake, Yukon]]
*[[Upper Liard, Yukon]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
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==External links==
* [http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic56-4-408.pdf Map and photos]
{{Geography topics}}
{{Physical geography topics}}
[[Category:Rivers of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Northwest Territories]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Yukon]]
[[Category:Physiographic sections]]
[[cs:Liard]]
[[de:Liard River]]
[[fr:Liard (rivière)]]
[[gl:Río Liard]]
[[it:Liard]]
[[lt:Lajardas]]
[[ja:リアード川]]
[[pl:Liard]]