Yukon

© iStock.com
© iStock.com
minimap

Watershed area

Jurisdiction

Yukon, British Columbia
Species of interest

Chinook Salmon

© iStock.com/Randimal
© iStock.com/Randimal

From Tagish Lake in the Coast Mountains of northwestern B.C., the Yukon River flows 3,185 kilometres through the tundra, glaciers, mountains and wetlands of Yukon and Alaska before reaching the Bering Sea. In the process, it drains more than half of Yukon’s land mass.

This is an area that has seen big migrations. More than 10,000 years ago, America’s original settlers passed through the Yukon watershed after crossing the Bering Strait. More recently, 30,000 prospectors traveled the Yukon River at the turn of the last century, on their way to the Klondike gold fields.

Today, you’ll still find plenty of mines within the watershed: some active, some abandoned. You’ll also find abundant fish and wildlife, providing food and livelihoods for many Yukoners.

The Yukon River supports one of the world’s longest salmon runs. Trumpeter swans paddle on its relatively shallow waters and mink lope along the banks, while moose, lynx and wolverines roam the surrounding forest.