Stuart (Nechako tributary)

The river originates in Lake Stuart and flows southeast along the central part of British Columbia until it flows into the Nechako River west of the city of Prince George . The length of the Stuart river is 110 km (415 km, if the source of the river is Driftwood), and the basin area is 16,200 km² ^[1] . The Nechako Plateau partially enters the river basin, a characteristic feature of which is the abundance of small lakes and rivers. Low but impressive mountain ranges surround the river, forming steep cliffs in places.

The Stuart basin is covered by coastal and mountain forests. Douglas fir , twisted broad-coniferous pine , spruce , poplar , aspen and birch grow in the forests. In the undergrowth - willow , dogwood and alder . Dwarf juniper is often found on hillsides.

The animal world is represented by deer , elk and wapiti . Trumpeter swans winter in the upper river. The Stuart River is one of the "salmon" rivers of Canada, in some years up to one million individuals of salmon rise up the river to spawn in streams and streams north of Lake Stuart. The main wealth of the river is sockeye salmon .

The river area is potentially rich in gold , zinc , copper , lead and molybdenum . On the tributaries of Dog Creek and Tsah Creek, gold has been mined since the 1930s (intermittently). There are also deposits of minerals such as limestone , talc , magnesite ^[2] .

The river is named after John Stuart, a member of the 1808 expedition of Simon Fraser .