far as the Three Sisters Range at the edge of the Stikine Plateau. The southern part of the Kechika basin is mountainous, while the northern part, extending into the Liard Plain, is characterized by rolling hills and muskegs. The Kechika basin is bordered by the drainage basins of the Dease River to the west and the Rabbit, Toad and Fort Nelson Rivers to the east, all tributaries of the Liard. To the south are the basins of the Stikine River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean, and the Finlay River, which flows into the Mackenzie via the Peace and Slave Rivers. Discharge The primary source of water for the Kechika River is snowmelt, although there are also a few small glaciers that contribute water to the river. A stream gauge operated by Water Survey of Canada recorded discharge data at the mouth of the Kechika River from 1962 to 1995. The gauge recorded a mean annual flow of . Mean monthly flows range from a high of in June to a low of in February. The highest flow month on record was June 1964, at , and the lowest was March 1972, at . The highest flow year was 1974, with an annual mean of , and the lowest was 1978, with an annual mean of . Kechika River monthly mean discharge at Liard River (m3/s) History The Kechika River is within the traditional lands of the Kaska Dena people, whose ancestors have lived in the area for about 4,500 years. Although the Kechika is more navigable than most rivers in the northern Rockies, the Kaska traveled along the river via trails rather than canoes. The Kechika River valley was used for hunting, fishing and trapping (particularly for beaver), with major camps near the Kechika-Turnagain confluence, Graveyard Lake and Aeroplane Lake. The river is Tadahzeh', "long inclining river", in the Kaska language. In the 19th century, the Sekani people were displaced west into the Rocky Mountain Trench as a result of First Nation territorial changes during the fur trade. In the Sekani language the river is Tah Chow Gàh, ("big windy" or "windy valley"). The Altse Dene Tunna or Davie Trail historically ran up the Kechika River valley, connecting Kwadacha, on the Finlay River, with Lower Post, at the confluence of the Liard and Dease Rivers. The trail is named after Old Davie, a half-Sekani prophet who became known as