Assessing Camping Impact on the Yukon & Teslin Rivers

The Yukon River has seen numbers of river users increase over the years. This is great for business and the Yukon’s tourism industry. However, this growth could be put at risk by the environmental impact of more people using the rivers irresponsibly or without the skills and knowledge required for wilderness travel. In order to empirically measure this impact.  In 2020, YCKC started this project by assessing the impact of campsites along the Yukon River, between Whitehorse and Dawson (hyperlink to report). While we were unable to complete any assessments in 2021 due to COVID-19 and flood water levels, this year we have partnered with the Yukon Youth Conservation Corps (Y2C2) to complete our initial assessment of the Teslin River. As we continue to collect data on the environmental impact of these rivers, we will continue to build the case for the need of a recreational management plan for two of Yukon’s busiest rivers.

Yukon River Impact Study (2020): Whitehorse to Carmacks (PDF)

Teslin River Impact Study (2022): Johnsons Crossing to Hootalinqua (PDF)

Yukon News Arcticle 2020 (PDF)