DOCSLIB.ORG

Dechyoo Njik the Traditional Land Use Patterns

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dechyoo Njik the Traditional Land Use Patterns Heritage Branch Government of the Yukon Hud~ Hud1in Series Occasional Papers in Archaeology No.8 DECHYOO NJiK (MIVm-4) aD THE TRADITIONAL LAND USE PATTERNS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE OLD CROW FLATS, YUKON TERRITORY Melanie Fafard YUKON Tourism Heritage Branch Sue Edelman, Minister 2001 ABSTRACT This thesis presents the results of the excavation and analysis of the Dechyoo Njik site (MIVm-4), a late prehistoriclhistoric camp located in the southwestern portion of the Old Crow Flats area, in the Northern Yukon Territory. The major objectives of this research were to document the range of activities in the Old Crow Flats and to improve the current understanding of pre-contact/contact period land use patterns. Dechyoo Njik was used as a summer multi-functional location, for the gathering of various resources including fish, migratory waterfowl and muskrats. The artifact collection revealed the presence of a well-integrated technological system, characterized by the manufacture of simple stone tools aimed at sustaining a complex bone and antler industry. The prehistoric component of the site is culturally affiliated with the Klo-kut Phase (from 700 A.D. up to the Historic Period), which was already identified at other sites in the Northern Yukon. Cette these presente les resultats de fouilles et d'analyses effectuees a Dechyoo Njik (M1Vm-4), un site archeologique prehistorique tardif et historique situe dans la partie sud-ouest des Old Crow Flats, dans Ie nord-ouest du Territoire du Yukon. Les principaux objectifs de cette investigation etaient d'obtenir des informations concernant les differentes activites pratiquees dans les Old Crow Flats, et d'enrichir Ie savoir relatif aux schemes d'exploitation du territoire pour les periodes de pre-contact et de contact. Le site de Dechyoo Njik etait occupe pendant I'ete pour I'acquisition de diverses resources, dont Ie poisson, les oiseaux migrateurs et les rats musques. Les vestiges recueillis ont revele la presence d'un systeme technologique bien integre, caracterise par la production de simples outils de pierre destines a supporter une industrie complexe d'os et d'andouiller. Le composant prehistorique du site presente une affiliation culturelle avec la Phase Klo-kut (entre 700 apres J.e. jusqu'a la Periode Historique), deja identifiee a d'autres locations dans Ie nord du Y ukcin. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank the following persons and institutions that directly or indirectly contributed to the realization of this research project. I really appreciated the assistance and encouragement I received during all of my MA degree. First of all, I wish to thank Dr. Raymond Le Blanc for accepting to act as my supervisor and for including me in his research project in the Northern Yukon Territory. Working in the Old Crow area was a unique opportunity for me; my experience in this fascinating country was truly stimulating and resulted in a growing interest for the prehistory of the Northern Yukon and for human adaptation to subarctic and arctic environments. I am also grateful to Dr. Le Blanc for letting me using his pictures for this publication. I want to thank the people from Old Crow for giving me the permission to carry an archaeological investigation within their territory and for showing interest in my project. Special thanks to Vernon Kaye and Tracy Capowski, who worked with the crew during the excavation of Dechyoo Njik and to Elders Charlie"Peter Charlie, Steven Frost, Mary Kassi, Charlie Thomas and Peter Tizya, for their participation in the oral history interviews. I am also grateful to Hugh Charlie, who patiently introduced me to the Elders and helped with the logistic of the project. I would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following organizations: the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC), from which most of the funding for the archaeological investigation was provided; Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP), for contributing logistical support and helicopter transportation; the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) and the Northern Research Institute (NRI) for the financial support they provided for the realization an oral history project with elders from Old Crow during the field season 1998. Special thanks to Julie Esdale, who participated in the excavation, for her friendship and encouragements and to John Butt, who also worked at MlVm-4. And finally, thank to the members of my family, Roger, Claudette, Dominique and Simon, as well as to Gael Jaunasse and Claudio Aporta, for their support and love. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .............................................................................. ....................................... i RESUME ...............................................................................................................~ .........i ACKNOWLEDGEl\1ENT ................................................... ............................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vi LIST OF PLATES .......................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 2 Approach .................................................................................................................. 2 Methods .................................................................................................................... 3 Scope of Report ....................................................................................................... .4 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................... 6 The Environmental and Cultural Context ...................................................................... 6 Introduction .............................................................. ................................................ 6 Part I: Environmental Context ...................................................................................... 6 Geology and Physiography ........................................................................................ 6 Climate ............................................................................................. ......................... 6 Vegetation ................................................................................................................. 7 Fauna ........................................................................................................................ 7 Part II: Cultural Context ............................................................................................. 10 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 10 The Annual Cycle and Subsistence Strategy of the Vuntut Gwitchin ........................ 10 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................. 17 The Physical Context of the Dechyoo Njik Site ............ : .............................................. 17 General Description ................................................................................................. 17 Excavation Strategy ................................................................................................ 17 Stratigraphy ............................................................................................................. 18 Chronology ............................................................................................................. 19 Features .................................................................................................................. 22 Fire-Cracked Rock .................................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................. 32 The Lithic Industries ................................................................................................... 32 Introduction ....................................................... ..................................................... 32 Descriptive and Analvtical Approach ....................................................................... 32 Part I: The Cryptocrystalline Industry ......................................................................... 32 Debitage .......................... ~ ....................................................................................... 33 Tools ...................................................... ................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Yukon and Kuskokwim Whitefish Strategic Plan
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Whitefish Biology, Distribution, and Fisheries in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River Drainages in Alaska: a Synthesis of Available Information Alaska Fisheries Data Series Number 2012-4 Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office Fairbanks, Alaska May 2012 The Alaska Region Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts fisheries monitoring and population assessment studies throughout many areas of Alaska. Dedicated professional staff located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Kenai Fish and Wildlife Offices and the Anchorage Conservation Genetics Laboratory serve as the core of the Program’s fisheries management study efforts. Administrative and technical support is provided by staff in the Anchorage Regional Office. Our program works closely with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and other partners to conserve and restore Alaska’s fish populations and aquatic habitats. Our fisheries studies occur throughout the 16 National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska as well as off- Refuges to address issues of interjurisdictional fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation. Additional information about the Fisheries Program and work conducted by our field offices can be obtained at: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/index.htm The Alaska Region Fisheries Program reports its study findings through the Alaska Fisheries Data Series (AFDS) or in recognized peer-reviewed journals. The AFDS was established to provide timely dissemination of data to fishery managers and other technically oriented professionals, for inclusion in agency databases, and to archive detailed study designs and results for the benefit of future investigations. Publication in the AFDS does not preclude further reporting of study results through recognized peer-reviewed journals.
    [Show full text]
  • Porcupine River Watershed Fisheries Information Summary Report
    Porcupine River Watershed Fisheries Information Summary Report Prepared for: NORTH YUKON PLANNING COMMISSION Suite #201-307 Jarvis St. Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2H3 Prepared by: Isaac Anderton, B.Sc., Dipl. Tech. EDI ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS INC. Suite 206-4133 4th Ave. Whitehorse, YT Y1A 1H8 December 2004 EDI Project No.: 04-YC-0026 Porcupine River Watershed Fisheries Information Summary Report -DRAFT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The North Yukon Land Use Planning Commission retained Environmental Dynamics Inc. to complete this project with the objective of facilitating a comprehensive integration of existing fish and fish habitat knowledge into the North Yukon regional land use planning process. A number of people contributed directly to the project, providing direction and/or technical support. These included: Shawn Francis, Nicole Parry, Tim Sellars, and Graham Baird. Jeff Hamm provided GIS support and was responsible for the final presentation of mapped data. Al von Finster provided specific input regarding the characterization of fish habitat. As well, during the November 2nd, 2004, Fisheries Workshop held in Old Crow, community members and Elders provided corrections, insights, and additional interpretations to the mapped fisheries information associated with this project. The table below lists all Fisheries Workshop participants. Community Workshop Participants North Yukon Planning Commission Members John Joe Kaye Marvin Frost Stanley Njootli Sr. Dave Brekke Donald Frost Participating Workshop Support Staff Danny Kassi Shawn Francis, North Yukon Planning Commission Peter Josie Isaac Anderton, Environmental Dynamics Inc. Stanley Njootli Jr. William Josie, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Joel Peter Melissa Valja, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Irwin Linklater Al von Finster, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fanny Charlie Bob Hayes, Ducks Unlimited Edith Josie Amy Leach, Ducks Unlimited Hannah Netro Beverley Brown, North Yukon Renewable Resources Council Harvey Kassi Peter Tizya Dick Nukon Stephen Frost Sr.
    [Show full text]
  • Old Crow Flats: Thermokarst Lakes in the Forest-Tundra Transition
    Page 1 of 18 Chapter 19: Old Crow Flats: Thermokarst lakes in the forest-tundra transition Pascale Roy-Leveillee and Christopher R. Burn Abstract Old Crow Flats, in northern Yukon, is a 5,600 km2 Arctic wetland surrounded by mountains. It contains thousands of thermokarst lakes. The area was not glaciated during the Wisconsinan but was submerged by a glacial lake that drained catastrophically 15,000 years ago. Today the glacilacustrine plain is underlain by continuous permafrost and is within the forest-tundra ecotone of northern Yukon. Lakes cover approximately 35% of the plain area. Many lakes have rectilinear shores and are oriented northeast-southwest or northwest-southeast where tundra vegetation dominates the ground cover. Where taiga and tall shrubs dominate the vegetation cover, lakeshores tend to be irregular. Drained lake basins are abundant in the Flats. Overlapping basins indicate that several generations of thermokarst lakes have formed and drained over the last 15,000 years. In tundra areas, drained basins generally have wet, depressed margins surrounding a slightly elevated centre. Ice-wedge polygon are ubiquitous in the tundra and are often strikingly orthogonal near lakes and drained basins. The Flats are incised by Porcupine and Old Crow rivers which meander 20 to 50 m below the plain level. Effects of climatic warming on the Flats may threaten the traditional activities and food security of the Vuntut Gwitch’in. Keywords Oriented lakes, patterned ground, permafrost, thermokarst Page 2 of 18 19.1 Introduction Old Crow Flats (OCF) is a 5,600 km2 Arctic wetland in eastern Beringia that is surrounded by mountains (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Traditional/Local Knowledge Salmon Survey Yukon River Panel Project CRE-16-03 Final Report
    Traditional/Local Knowledge Salmon Survey Yukon River Panel Project CRE-16-03 Final Report Prepared on behalf of the North Yukon Renewable Resources Council (RRC) and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation by Isaac Anderton & Phyllis Frost ABSTRACT: References to historic fish trap and salmon locations in the Porcupine River watershed were researched in the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation’s Oral History Project and the Yukon Archives. Seven elders in Old Crow were interviewed regarding the historic location of fish traps and salmon. Results of interviews and previously documented references were analysed and compiled in this report, which documents the historic location of fourteen fish traps, fourteen locations of salmon, and associated information within the Porcupine River watershed. OBJECTIVES: 1. Inspire and build community capacity and stewardship for the conservation, restoration, and enhancement of salmon stocks and their habitat in the Porcupine River sub-basin: In order to carry out needed research and to ensure long-term salmon habitat stewardship, the human capacity must be developed within the community of Old Crow. This is consistent with goals and objectives of the Vuntut Gwitchin Final Agreement and that of VGFN. This project will provide valuable experience in this regard to community members; 2. Identify all areas where salmon are known to exist in the past: This information will tell managers where present and past salmon habitat exists in the Porcupine River system. This information will assist in filling current information gaps and provide the basis for future research, restoration and enhancement work. It will also provide the community with tools that will assist in the local management, conservation, and restoration of Porcupine River salmon stocks; 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Subsistence Land Mammal Harvests and Uses, Yukon Flats, Alaska: 2008–2010 Harvest Report and Ethnographic Update
    Technical Paper No. 377 Subsistence Land Mammal Harvests and Uses, Yukon Flats, Alaska: 2008–2010 Harvest Report and Ethnographic Update by James M. Van Lanen, Carrie Stevens, Caroline L. Brown, Karonhiakta'tie Bryan Maracle, and David S. Koster October 2012 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments Division of Subsistence Natural Resources Department Symbols and Abbreviations The following symbols and abbreviations, and others approved for the Système International d'Unités (SI), are used without definition in the reports by the Division of Subsistence. All others, including deviations from definitions listed below, are noted in the text at first mention, as well as in the titles or footnotes of tables, and in figure or figure captions. Weights and measures (metric) General Mathematics, statistics centimeter cm Alaska Administrative Code AAC all standard mathematical signs, symbols deciliter dL all commonly-accepted and abbreviations gram g abbreviations e.g., alternate hypothesis HA hectare ha Mr., Mrs., base of natural logarithm e kilogram kg AM, PM, etc. catch per GMU effort CPUE kilometer km all commonly-accepted coefficient of variation CV liter L professional titles e.g., Dr., Ph.D., common test statistics (F, t, 2, etc.) meter m R.N., etc. confidence interval CI milliliter mL at @ correlation coefficient (multiple) R millimeter mm compass directions: correlation coefficient (simple) r east E covariance cov Weights and measures (English) north N degree (angular ) ° cubic feet per second ft3/s south S degrees of freedom df foot ft west W expected value E gallon gal copyright greater than > inch in corporate suffixes: greater than or equal to mile mi Company Co.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconnaissance of Porcupine Valley, Alaska
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director Bulletin 933-D RECONNAISSANCE OF PORCUPINE VALLEY, ALASKA BY GERALD FITZGERALD Mineral resources of Alaska, 1940 (Pages 219-243) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1944 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price 45 cents CONTENTS Page Abstract___________,__ __- ---_-.-----__-__-___-_ ___-______ 219 Location of the area._______-___--_--_-------_-_--____-_______-____ 220 Early explorations and surveys__---------__--------_________________ 220 Present field work. __ . _ 223 Itinerary and working conditions._______________________________ 223 Methods of mapping,-_________________________________________ 224 Acknowledgments ______________________________________________ 225 Physical features of the area__-__----___-___.__-___._-_____._____.-_ 226 Drainage ___________-__-__------__-----__-----___-____________ 226 Porcupine River_________ _________________________________ 226 General features_____________________________________ 226 Upper Ramparts-__-______--_--__-___-____-___.---__._ 226 Coleen Lowland___-_----__ __________ _______________ 227 Lower Ramparts.__ _ _ _ _ _ __________________________ 228 Yukon Flats _._ 228 Tributaries._-_--_------------------_-----_.__.______... 229 Relief-----------.----------------------.------------------.- 232 Yukon riats--_---___-_--__--------__---_.-__-.....-._.--- 232 Coleen Hills____.__.___ -.._.- ......-._____-_._ _____ 233 Coleen Lowland-____ ___--__-__ ____ ________ ________ 234 Highland province. -___________________________ 235 Transportation and communication-_________________________________ 236 Climate.. -,_ - - - - _. 238 Vegetation.____ _ _________________ ________- __________________ 238 Animal life________________________________________________________ 239 Settlements 240 Index..-.--.-..-.- -----.--- - -_--_-_---.-. _-_-. __ 243 PLATE 18. Topographic map of Porcupine Valley.
    [Show full text]
  • %STIMATING 3Treamfl
    %STIMATINGTHE-AGNITUDEAND&REQUENCYOF0EAK 3TREAMmOWSFOR5NGAGED3ITESON3TREAMSIN!LASKA AND#ONTERMINOUS"ASINSIN#ANADA 7ATER 2ESOURCES)NVESTIGATIONS2EPORT 0REPAREDINCOOPERATIONWITHTHE !,!3+!$%0!24-%.4/&42!.30/24!4)/.!.$05",)#&!#),)4)%3 #OVER0HOTOGRAPHOFDAMAGETO.INILCHIK6ILLAGE2OADBRIDGEOVER.INILCHIK2IVERLARGEPHOTOGRAPHANDTOPINSET AND3TERLING(IGHWAYBRIDGEOVER$EEP#REEKBOTTOMINSET !LASKA INCURREDDURINGAN/CTOBERmOODWITHARECURRENCEINTERVALGREATERTHANYEARS4HELEFTBRIDGEABUTMENTWASWASHEDOUTATBOTHBRIDGES0HOTOGRAPHTAKENBY$AVID-EYER 53'3 ON/CTOBER 53$%0!24-%.4/&4(%).4%2)/2 53'%/,/')#!,3526%9 Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Peak Streamflows for Ungaged Sites on Streams in Alaska and Conterminous Basins in Canada By Janet H. Curran, David F. Meyer, and Gary D. Tasker U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4188 Prepared in cooperation with the ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES Anchorage, Alaska 2003 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GALE A. NORTON, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be obtained from: Chief, Water Resources Office U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Alaska Science Center Building 810 4230 University Drive, Suite 201 Box 25286, Federal Center Anchorage, AK 99508-4664 Denver, CO 80225-0286
    [Show full text]
  • Old Crow Landscape Hazards Geoscience Mapping for Climate Change Adaptation Planning This Publication May Be Obtained Online at Yukoncollege.Yk.Ca/Research
    Old Crow landscape hazards Geoscience mapping for climate change adaptation planning This publication may be obtained online at yukoncollege.yk.ca/research. This publication may be obtained from: Northern Climate ExChange Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College 500 College Drive PO Box 2799 Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5K4 867.668.8895 or 1.800.661.0504 Recommended citation: Recommended citation: Benkert, B.E., Kennedy, K., Fortier, D., Lewkowicz, A., Roy, L.-P., de Grandpré, I., Grandmont, K., Drukis, S., Colpron, M., Light, E., Williams, T. 2016. Old Crow landscape hazards: Geoscience mapping for climate change adaptation planning. Northern Climate ExChange, Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College. 136 p. and 2 maps. Front cover photograph: Aerial view of Old Crow looking north across the Porcupine River Photo Credit: Yukon Geological Survey Disclaimer: This report, including any associated maps, tables and figures (the “Information”), conveys general observations only. The Information is based on an interpretation and extrapolation of discrete data points and is not necessarily indicative of actual conditions at any location. The Information cannot be used or relied upon for design or construction at any location without first conducting site-specific geotechnical investigations by a qualified geotechnical engineer to determine the actual conditions at a specific location (“Site-Specific Investigations”). The Information should only be used or relied upon asa guide to compare locations under consideration for such Site-Specific Investigations. Use of or reliance upon the Information for any other purpose is solely at the user’s own risk. Yukon College and the indi- vidual authors and contributors to the Information accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of the Information.
    [Show full text]
  • OLD CROW, YUKON TERRITORY by ROBERT
    TERRITORY, TERRITORIALITY, AND CULTURAL CHANGE IN AN INDIGENOUS SOCIETY: OLD CROW, YUKON TERRITORY by ROBERT JAMES McSKIMMING B.Ed., University of British Columbia, 1971 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Geography We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA May, 1975 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Depa rtment The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada Date ii ABSTRACT The purpose of the research is to examine the impact of cultural, economic, and environmental factors on territory and territoriality in Old Crow, Yukon Territory. It investigates both the social and spatial changes in the society. An historical sketch provides the circumstances which led Kutchin Indians of the northern Yukon to eventually attach themselves to trading posts. The changing nature of resource-use patterns and the relationship between •land-use' territory and 'perceived' territory is compared. The thesis framework, then, is to present an evolution of territory and territoriality in an isolated indigenous society. The territory of Old Crow is defined as that which reflects native use and perception.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Cenozoic History of the Interior Basins of Alaska and the Yukon
    U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1026 Late Cenozoic History of the Interior Basins of Alaska and the Yukon Proceedings of a cooperative workshop between earth scientists from Canada and the United States of America AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the cur­ rent-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Sur­ vey publications released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" Publications that are listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual"Price and Availability List" are no longer available. Prices of reports released to the open files are given in the listing "U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports," updated month­ ly, which is for sale in microfiche from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225. Reports released through the NTIS may be obtained by writing to the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161; please include NTIS report number with inquiry. Order U.S. Geological Survey publications by mail or over the counter from the offices given below. BY MAIL Books OVER THE COUNTER Books Professional Papers, Bulletins, Water-Supply Papers, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications of general in­ Books of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Yukon River Basin Streamflow Forecasting System
    Yukon River Basin Streamflow Forecasting System Centre for Hydrology Report No. 16 Mohamed Elshamy, Youssef Loukili, Daniel Princz, Dominique Richard, Zelalem Tesemma and John W Pomeroy Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan 101-121 Research Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 1K2 Yukon River Basin Streamflow Forecasting System ______________________________________________________________________________ Centre for Hydrology Report No. 16 Mohamed Elshamy, Youssef Loukili, Daniel Princz, Dominique Richard, Zelalem Tesemma and John W Pomeroy Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan 101-121 Research Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 1K2 March 31, 2020 Prepared for Government of Yukon, Yukon Environment, Water Resources Branch, Whitehorse, Yukon © 2020 Centre for Hydrology, University Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Contact: Professor John Pomeroy, PhD, FRSC, FRGS Director, Centre for Hydrology University of Saskatchewan 101 – 121 Research Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 1K2 [email protected] www.usask.ca/hydrology ii Executive summary The Yukon River Basin is one of the main rivers in the Arctic region of North America and is shared between Canada and the US. The Canadian part covers almost half of the Yukon Territory in addition to a small portion of the province of British Columbia, while the US part falls totally within the state of Alaska. This study is concerned with Canadian part of the Yukon River with its outlet at Eagle, just across the border in Alaska. Small parts of this catchment are in Alaska. This basin has an area of 288,000 km2, from 58.8 – 65.6°N and 129.2 – 134.1°W. The southern part of the basin is characterized by large glaciers at high elevations (up to 4700 m above sea level) with steep slopes, and thus generates considerable runoff.
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Investigations Along the Canada- Alaska Boundary
    GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS ALONG THE CANADA- ALASKA BOUNDARY. By A. G. MADDREN. WORK OF THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION. During the summer of 1911 the joint commission appointed and authorized by the Governments of Canada and the United States to locatp and mark the boundary line separating British territory from Alaska advanced field operations northward along that part of the one hundred and forty-first meridian which extends from Porcupine'River to the Arctic Ocean. This work was a direct con­ tinuation of the boundary survey that w,as carried northward from Yukon River to Porcupine River during the summers of 1909 and 1910. The commission expects to complete this part of the survey in 1912. The 320 miles through which the one hundred and forty-first meridian extends between Yukon River and the Arctic Ocean is crossed about midway by Porcupine River, which thus separates the region into north and south subdivisions that form convenient units for geographic and geologic description. The southern sub­ division, about 175 miles in length, may be designated the Yukon- Porcupine section, and the northern one, about 145 miles in length, the Porcupine-Arctic section. Porcupine River is easily navigated by shallow-draft steamboats to New Rampart, an Indian trading settlement on the north bank of the river just east of the boundary line, or about 225 miles above its confluence with the Yukon near Fort Yukon. It thus affords a natural route for the transportation of supplies and makes it prac­ ticable to maintain a very convenient base of operations for both sections of the boundary at this point.
    [Show full text]