This map includes publicly available information about mining within the Yukon River Watershed, in addition to water and soil sample results from 2018 - 2021 taken by YRITWC near mining activity.  Click layers ‘on’ and ‘off’ to view desired information. Click on points on the map for more information about that location.

 

Mine information includes: Information compiled from the Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS) a worldwide collection of the best available data, https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ maintained by the USGS, last up-dated in 2011. Historic prospects that were not mined and are currently inactive were excluded from the dataset. Links to the MRDS data are included. Data from the Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources State Geo-Spatial Clearinghouse http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/#911 which is continuously updated, Exploration data for the Yukon Territory is from Yukon Government, Energy, Mines and Resources, http://www.emr.gov.yk.ca/mining/mapsdatapubs.html, last up-dated in 2016. Additionally, the mine disturbance footprint is from 'Geist, M., M. Aisu , P. Lema & E. J. Trammell. 2017. Spatial estimates of surface mining footprints in northwest boreal ecoregions of Alaska and Canada.' at http://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/landscape-ecology/northwest-boreal-anthropogenic-footprint/ 

For exceedances the information is displayed to show the contaminant, the value that was measured by the lab, and the regulation value, so that users can see how much each contaminant exceeded regulation values by. For example, “IRON_0.346_0.3” can be read as follows;

The CONTAMINANT is Iron_The VALUE measured in the lab was 0.346_ the REGULATION VALUE is set at 0.3. So this sample exceeded the amount of iron allowable in drinking water or chronic exposure for aquatic life by .046. Most units are in parts per billion. Units can be found in the headings under the 'Complete Sample Results' layer.  

Disclaimer: Water quality data were compared to the standards for drinking water and chronic exposure for aquatic life. Waters are regulated according to their designated use. These standards were applied regardless of designated use as a way to compare and assess water quality according to YRITWC’s Mission, ‘To be able to drink water directly from the Yukon River’ and based on the concern of mining activity impacting precious subsistence resources, such as salmon.   

Questions? Contact: emutter@yritwc.org