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It rises in the plateau of the Stikine Mountains of northwest British Columbia, in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park , and flows in a large arc through the mountains to the west and southwest, past Telegraph Creek . It passes through steeply-cut gorges in the Boundary Range along the Canada-U.S. border, in particular the spectacular 60 mi (100 km) long and 1,000-ft (300-m) deep Grand Canyon of the Stikine . It briefly enters southeast Alaska for its lower 40 mi (64 km) to form a delta opposite Mitkoff Island , approximately 25 mi (40 km) north of Wrangell at the confluence of Frederick Sound and Sumner Inlet .
It receives the Statsizi River in the upper plateau in the Spatsizi Mountains.
The river is navigable for approximately 130 mi (210 km) upstream from its mouth. It was used by the coastal Tlingit as a transportation route to the interior region. It was explored in 1838 by Robert Campbell , of the Hudson's Bay CompanyThe Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) is the oldest corporation in Canada and is one of the oldest in the world still in existence. From its longtime headquarters at York Factory on Hudson Bay it controlled the fur trade throughout much of British-controlled Nor, completing the last link in the company's transcontinental canoeA canoe is a relatively small human-powered boat. It is propelled by one or more people (depending on the size of canoe), using single-bladed paddles. The paddlers face in the direction of travel, either in a seated position or kneeling on the bottom of t route. In 1879Events January January 11 Anglo-Zulu War begins January 22 Zulu troops massacre British troops at the Battle of Isandlwana. At Rorke's Drift, outnumbered British soldiers drive the attackers away after hours of fighting. February February 12 At New York C it the lower third was travelled by John MuirJohn Muir ( April 21, 1838 December 24, 1914) was an environmentalist, naturalist, traveler, writer, and scientist. He is, however, probably best remembered as one of the greatest champions of the Yosemite area's natural wonders. He thought that nature wa who likened it to a Yosemite that was a hundred miles (160 kilometers) long. Muir recorded over 300 glaciers along the river's course.
From 1897Events January 1 Brooklyn, New York merges with New York City. January 4 A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosheri, son-in-law of the Oba of Benin. This leads to a Punitive Expedition against Benin. February 2 The Pennsylvania state capitol is dest- 1898Events January 1 New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. January 13 Emile Zola's J'accus it furnished one of the principal routes to the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon Territory. The river today furnishes the primary route to the Cassiar, British Columbia mining region of northern British Columbia. The first bridge was built across the river in the 1970s as part of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway . In 1980, BC Hydro began to study the feasibility of building a five-dam project in the Grand Canyon. The plan has led to opposition by conservation groups and a long struggle over the fate of the river. The mouth of the river in the United States provides a habitat for migratory birds and is protected as part of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness Area .
The river is noted for its prolific salmon runs. The force of the current in the river's Grand Canyon limit the salmon runs to the lower one-third of the river.