Bell-Irving River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bell-Irving River |
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Klappan Range Cassiar Land District, British Columbia, Northern Interior 1,800 m (5,900 ft) 57°8′30″N 129°28′19″W / 57.14167°N 129.47194°W |
| River mouth | Nass River Cassiar Land District, British Columbia, Northern Interior 267 m (876 ft) 56°9′51″N 129°1′42″W / 56.16417°N 129.02833°W |
| Length | 165 km (103 mi) |
The Bell-Irving River is a river in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Nass River. The river starts in a special area called the Sacred Headwaters. It travels about 165 km (103 mi) south. The river runs between two mountain ranges. To the east are the Skeena Mountains and to the west are the Coast Mountains.
Many First Nations groups have lived near the Bell-Irving River for a long time. These groups include the Gitxsan, Gitanyow, Nisga'a, Tahltan, and Tsetsaut peoples. They all have important histories connected to this river.
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What's in a Name?
The Bell-Irving River is named after a brave soldier. His name was Duncan Peter Bell-Irving. He was a Canadian Army Lieutenant. Before World War I, he explored and surveyed the upper Nass River area. He joined the army when the war started. Sadly, he was killed in Belgium in 1915.
The river also has different names from the local Indigenous peoples. The Gitxsan people call it Sto'ot Xsitxemsem. The Tahltan people sometimes call it the West Nass River.
Where Does the River Flow?
The Bell-Irving River begins in the Klappan Range. This area is known as the Sacred Headwaters. It's a very important place because many big rivers start here. Besides the Bell-Irving, the Nass River, Skeena River, and Stikine River also begin in this region.
From its source, the Bell-Irving River flows mainly south. It passes through lots of mountains. Smaller streams like Craven Creek and Rochester Creek join it. The old Yukon Telegraph Trail follows parts of the river. This telegraph line was built during the Klondike Gold Rush. It helped people send messages from Ashcroft to Dawson City, Yukon.
Further downstream, the Bell-Irving River turns southwest. More creeks join it, like Owl Creek and Hodder Creek. Near a place called Bell II, the Stewart–Cassiar Highway crosses the river. This highway is also known as British Columbia Highway 37.
After Teigen Creek joins, the river turns south and southeast. The highway follows the river valley for a while. A special stream called Treaty Creek flows into the Bell-Irving. It's named "Treaty Creek" because it marked a traditional boundary. This boundary was set by a treaty between the Nisga'a and Tahltan peoples long ago.
As the river continues south, it passes Wildfire Ridge. Then, the Bowser River joins it from the west. The Bowser River brings water from large glaciers and lakes. Finally, the Bell-Irving River flows into the Nass River. This happens a few kilometers east of Meziadin Junction.
River Animals and Plants
The Bell-Irving River and its smaller streams are home to many different fish. They are important places for salmon to lay their eggs.
- Salmon: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, and Sockeye salmon all use these waters.
- Trout: You can find Rainbow trout (including Steelhead trout, which go to the ocean), Cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden trout, and Bull trout.
- Other Fish: Mountain whitefish also live here.
The Eulachon is a small fish that was very important to Indigenous people. It was a major food source. While the Nass River was famous for its eulachon, they usually don't travel up into the Bell-Irving River.
Many land animals also live in the Bell-Irving River area:
- Mammals: Marten, moose, mountain goat, and grizzly bears.
- Amphibians: Western toad.
- Birds: Many wetland birds, including different types of ducks, geese, common goldeneye, and harlequin duck.
A Look Back in Time
The Bell-Irving River area has a rich history. It is part of the traditional lands of several First Nations. These groups include the Gitxsan, Gitanyow, Nisga'a, Tahltan, and Tsetsaut.
The Gitxsan people have special oral stories called adaawk. These stories tell about thousands of years of their history. They describe how people moved into the Nass River area after the last ice age. One important settlement was Ts'im'anluuskeexs, located on the Bell-Irving River. Some people from here moved south and formed the Gitanyow Houses. Others stayed and formed the Galdo'o Houses.
About 200 to 300 years ago, there were conflicts between the Gitxsan and other groups like the Tsetsaut and Tahltan. These conflicts were complex and happened over a large area, including the Bell-Irving River watershed. They were sometimes related to changes caused by European and American fur traders arriving on the coast.
One conflict led to the Tsetsaut giving up some land to the Gitanyow. This land included much of the Bell-Irving River. Later, around 1860, a Tsetsaut village called Awiijii was on the Bell-Irving River. Gitxsan stories tell of an accidental death of a Gitxsan chief. Because of this, the Tsetsaut of Awiijii gave a large part of their land to the chief's nephews. This is how much of the Bell-Irving River area became Gitxsan territory, according to their stories. This event is also why Treaty Creek got its name.
Today, there are still disagreements about land claims. The Skii km Lax Ha, who are descendants of the Tsetsaut, also claim the entire Bell-Irving River watershed.
These land disagreements led to a very important court case. The Gitxsan and their neighbors, the Wet'suwet'en, took their land ownership claims to court in 1984. This case was called Delgamuukw v British Columbia. It lasted until 1997. The court said that oral histories were just as important as written records. This case also helped with the Nisga'a Treaty, which became law in 2000. This treaty confirmed the Nisga'a people's ownership of lands around the lower Nass River.
As of 2017, the Gitxsan and Gitanyow are still working on their own treaty agreements. Their claims include a large part of the Bell-Irving River watershed.
River Rocks and Volcanoes
The upper Bell-Irving River area is known as the Bell-Irving volcanic district. It is part of a larger area called the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province.
Between 1992 and 2004, scientists found fourteen new volcanic sites here. These sites have special rocks called pillow lava. These rocks form when lava erupts underwater. This suggests that these volcanoes probably erupted under glaciers during the Pleistocene Ice Age. This type of eruption is called glaciovolcanic.
