The Fort Nelson River, often shortened to simply the Nelson River, is in north-eastern British Columbia, Canada. It flows generally north-westward to the Liard River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. The river drains a watershed of and is formed by the confluence of the Fontas River flowing from the east, and the Sikanni Chief River flowing from the south. These, along with the Sahtaneh and Muskwa Rivers, constitute the major tributaries. The source of the Sikanni Chief, on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, is ultimately the headwater of the Fort Nelson River. The land through which the river flows is generally flat, a mixture of boreal forests and muskeg. The area is rich in wildlife, and forestry and mining (especially oil and gas) are major industries. History The river has a rich history. The Dene and Sekani First Nations used it for food and trade. The river itself is named for the town of Fort Nelson, established in 1805 by the North West Company as a fur trading post near the river's junction with the Muskwa River. With the abandonment of the village and trading post at Nelson Forks and Fort Nelson's relocation roughly eight kilometres southwest up the Muskwa River to better access the Alaska Highway built in the 1940s, there are no longer any communities along this river. The Fort Nelson River is formed at the confluence of Sikanni Chief River and Fontas River, at an elevation of . It flows north-west and north, and its course is paralleled by BC Rail tracks north of Fontas. It receives waters from the Elleh Creek and Klua Creek, then follows a north-west direction, a short distance from Andy Bailey Provincial Park. It turns north again near Fort Nelson, where the Muskwa River flows into it. Further north it receives the McConachie Creek, Cridland Creek and Sahtaneh River, which also carries waters from the Snake River. It then turns north-west and west, where it receives the Shush Creek, Onion Creek, Tsimeh Creek, Stanolind Creek and Kiwigana River. It is then crossed by the Liard Highway and continues westwards, receiving waters from Tsoo Creek, Etane Creek, Obole Creek and Capot-Blanc Creek. It flows into the Liard River at Nelson Forks, at an elevation of . Its waters are carried up the Liard River then the Mackenzie River, into the Arctic Ocean. Local disagreement