South Nahanni
South Nahanni is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 61.89°, -126.45°
About South Nahanni
The South Nahanni River is a major tributary of the Liard River, located roughly 500 km (310 mi) west of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the centerpiece of Nahanni National Park Reserve, which adjoins the Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve. It flows from the Mackenzie Mountains in the west, through the Selwyn Mountains, growing as it heads east over the majestic Virginia Falls, and finally empties into the Liard River. The Nahanni has a unique geological history. It was formed when the area was a broad flat plain, forming a winding course typical of flatland rivers. As the mountains lifted, the river cut four deep canyons into the rock, maintaining its eccentric course.
The Dene and their ancestors have lived and hunted in the Nahanni area for thousands of years. In the early 19th century, the first Europeans came to the area, seeking fur and gold; however, it wasn't until the 1950s, with the publishing of Dangerous River by Raymond M. Patterson that the legends about the region were put to rest and the river finally came to prominence.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: South Nahanni River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
South Nahanni in Depth
Course
The South Nahanni River originates on the western slopes of Mount Christie of the Mackenzie Mountains, at an elevation of 1,600 m (5,200 ft). It flows south on the Yukon – Northwest Territories border for 10 km (6.2 mi), then turns south-east into the Northwest Territories at the Moose Ponds. It flows through the Selwyn Mountains, where it receives the waters of the Little Nahanni River, south of the Sapper Range.
East of the Bologna Ridge it turns west, then again south-east. It receives the waters of the Broken Skull River east of the Vampire Peaks Range, then the waters of the Rabbitkettle River and Hole in the Wall Creek as it enters the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The river crosses the entire length of the park reserve, and the confluence with the Flat River is also located here.
Geography and geology
The history of the area began 550 million years ago beneath a tropical sea. Here a sedimentary layer of sandstone and limestone formed from the powerful pressure exerted by the sea. Eventually this sea dried up, forming a wide plain upon which the Nahanni River first took its course.
The Nahanni is unique amongst mountainous rivers. It formed long before the mountains ever existed, establishing a winding course typical of prairie rivers. As the mountains rose around it, the Nahanni maintained its course, cutting steep canyons into the land.
The river runs through several distinct ranges of mountains, all part of the Mackenzie Range.
History
The South Nahanni River was inhabited by Dene at the time of first European contact. In early 1823, Alexander Roderick McLeod of the Hudson's Bay Company explored the lower river. The Company quickly lost interest when they realized that the river did not support a large native population and was not a viable route to the west. The nearest Hudson Bay fort was established at Fort Liard, and later many Indigenous peoples, mainly First Nations from the Nahanni settled nearby.
With the Cassiar gold rush in the 1870s, prospectors came into the area for the first time. Famously, the MacLeod brothers were found dead along the Nahanni in 1906 after reportedly staking a rich claim along the Flat River.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: South Nahanni River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
South Nahanni: Key Facts
| Length | 540 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 404 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 31,100 km² |
| Mouth | Liard River |
| Tributaries | Little Nahanni River, Flat River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1535066 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
South Nahanni: Quick Answers
- Where is South Nahanni?
- South Nahanni is located in Canada, at 61.8879° N, 126.4537° W.
- Are there dams on the South Nahanni?
- No dam on the South Nahanni is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.