Stuart River (Canada) facts for kids

The Stuart River is a big river in British Columbia, Canada. It's also known by its Dakelh name, Nak'alkoh. This river is one of the largest branches of the Nechako River. The Nechako River then flows into the even bigger Fraser River.

The Stuart River flows for about 187 kilometres (116 mi). It starts at Stuart Lake and ends where it joins the Nechako River. The river flows through an area called the Nechako Plateau. This area has gentle hills, small lakes, and many smaller streams. Along the river, you can see tall cliffs and interesting rock formations called hoodoos.

The Stuart River's watershed is the northernmost part of the Fraser River's drainage basin. A watershed is all the land where water drains into a specific river. Even though the Stuart River starts at Stuart Lake, many other rivers and lakes feed into it. For example, the Sakeniche River and Driftwood River flow into Takla Lake. This lake then empties into the Middle River, which flows to Trembleur Lake. Finally, the Tachie River flows from Trembleur Lake to Stuart Lake. This whole journey is about 290 kilometres (180 mi) long.

The Stuart River is so special that it has been named one of British Columbia's twenty heritage rivers.

River's Journey

The Stuart River begins at the southern end of Stuart Lake. This is close to the town of Fort St. James and the Necoslie Indian Reserve. The Necoslie River joins the Stuart River right after it leaves Stuart Lake.

The Stuart River generally flows south and east for its 187 kilometres (116 mi) journey. Along the way, it collects water from many smaller streams that flow into it. As it gets closer to joining the Nechako River, it turns to flow more directly south.

River's Past

The Stuart River area has a rich history. It is part of the traditional land of the Dakelh (Carrier) people. Specifically, the Nak'azdli First Nation of Fort St. James and the Saik'uz First Nation of Stoney Creek have lived here for a very long time.

An important Dakelh village called Chinlac was located on the Stuart River. Oral stories say that around 1745, Chinlac was attacked and destroyed by Tsilhqot'in raiders from Nazko. Today, Chinlac is a very important archaeological site in the province.

The Stuart River played a big role in the history of British Columbia. In 1808, explorer Simon Fraser used this river on his journey down the Fraser River to what is now Vancouver. Before that, in 1806, Fraser's helper, James McDougall, was the first European to travel up the Stuart River.

The river and the lake it flows from are named after John Stuart. He was another one of Simon Fraser's assistants. John Stuart traveled with Fraser up the Stuart River in 1806. They also set up Fort St. James at Stuart Lake. In 1809, John Stuart took over from Fraser as the leader of the New Caledonia district.

Later, during the Omineca Gold Rush, steamboats used to travel on the Stuart River. They carried people and supplies from the Quesnel area on the Fraser River all the way to Stuart Lake.

Plants and Animals

The land around the Stuart River is covered with many types of trees. You can find lodgepole pine, spruce, cottonwood, aspen, Douglas fir, and some birch trees. Smaller plants that grow under the main trees include willow, dogwood, and alder. There are also open grassy hills where you might see dwarf juniper plants. Some areas look like parks with open stands of aspen and spruce trees.

This area is a great home for many animals. Deer, moose, and elk use the riverbanks for feeding, especially in winter. A small herd of elk lives in the area. Trumpeter swans spend their winters along the upper part of the Stuart River.

The river itself is home to sturgeon fish. It also has one of the best wild sockeye salmon runs in the world. A salmon run is when salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. In some years, as many as one million sockeye salmon travel up the Stuart River system. They go to the smaller streams and rivers north of Stuart Lake to spawn.