Peel watershed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peel Watershed
Map of the Yukon
Country	Canada
Region	Yukon, Northwest Territory
Physical characteristics
Main source	Blackstone/Ogilvie confluence Yukon 1,366 ft (416 m) 61°51′15″N 137°15′13″W / 61.85417°N 137.25361°W / 61.85417; -137.25361
River mouth	Mackenzie River Northwest Territory 32 ft (9.8 m) 61°41′50″N 134°32′21″W / 61.69722°N 134.53917°W / 61.69722; -134.53917
Basin features
River system	Peel River

The Peel watershed is a huge natural area in Yukon, Canada. It covers about 14% of the Yukon Territory. All the water from this area flows into the Beaufort Sea. It travels first through the Peel River and then the Mackenzie River.

Most of this watershed, about 68,000 square kilometers, is in the Yukon. The rest is in the Northwest Territories. Many smaller streams and six big rivers feed into the Peel River. This area is very important for land use planning in the Yukon. This planning process is called the Peel Watershed Planning Region (PWPR).

No towns or cities are found inside the Yukon's Peel Watershed. However, four First Nations groups have lived here for thousands of years. These groups are the Na-cho Nyak Dun, the Tetlit Gwich'in, the Vuntut Gwitchin, and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. They still use the land for hunting, trapping, and gathering plants.

The Tetlit Gwich’in people call the Peel River the "center of their world." Their name means "people who live at the head of the waters." The Vuntut Gwitchin and Tetlit Gwich’in people have a special connection to caribou. Caribou provided them with food, clothing, tools, and shelter. Long ago, they built fences to guide caribou into traps. Today, these fences are mostly gone.

The Peel River was named in 1826 by Sir John Franklin. He named it after Sir Robert Peel, a British politician. Europeans first explored the river in 1839. This area was the main route for fur traders into the Yukon until the gold rush in the 1890s.

Where is the Peel Watershed?

The Peel Watershed Planning Region is in the northeast part of the Yukon. Its southern point is near Duo Lakes. The eastern edge is the border with the Northwest Territories. To the west, it reaches Tombstone Park. The northern border is the Yukon/Northwest Territories border.

The closest towns are Mayo and Dawson City in the Yukon. Also nearby are Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic in the Northwest Territories. No one lives in the region all year round. There is only one road, the Dempster Highway, which runs along its western side.

People visit the Peel for many reasons. Big game outfitters have camps there for hunting. The rivers are famous for canoeing and hiking. First Nations people continue to hunt, gather, and trap, just as their ancestors have for thousands of years.

What are the Different Natural Areas in the Peel?

The Peel Watershed is mostly in the Boreal Taiga ecozone. An ecozone is a large area with similar plants, animals, and climate. The northern parts of the Peel are in the Taiga Plains ecozone.

These ecozones are divided into smaller areas called ecoregions:

• In the Taiga Plains ecozone: Peel River Plateau and Fort McPherson Plain.
• In the Boreal Taiga ecozone: British/Richardson Mountains, North Ogilvie Mountains, Eagle Plains, and Mackenzie Mountains.

Some of these ecoregions have protected areas. For example, parts of the British/Richardson Mountains are protected by Ivvavik National Park and Vuntut National Park. The Mackenzie Mountains are partly protected by Tombstone Territorial Park. Other areas, like the Peel Plateau, do not have protection yet.

What Animals Live in the Peel Watershed?

The Peel Watershed is home to many wild animals. Their populations are healthy because the area is mostly untouched.

• Large Animals: You can find moose, Dall Sheep, and Fannin Sheep here.
• Caribou: There are different types of caribou herds. The Porcupine herd is a Barren Ground caribou herd. The Hart, Clear Creek, and Bonnet Plume herds are Northern Mountain Woodland Caribou. Yukon's only boreal caribou also live here.
• Predators: Because there are so many prey animals, predators also thrive. These include Wolves, Wolverines, Grizzlies, and Black bears.
• Small Animals: The Ogilvie Mountain Collared Lemming lives in the watershed. This lemming is found only in the Yukon.
• Birds: Large wetlands, like Turner Lake, Chappie, and Margaret lakes, are important for birds that migrate.
• Trapping: Trappers mostly catch marten and lynx in this area.

What Plants Grow in the Peel Watershed?

Much of the Peel Watershed was not covered by ice during the Ice Ages. This area is part of Beringia, a land bridge that once connected Asia and North America. Because of this, many plants here are more like those found in Asia than in other parts of the Americas. Some plants are found only in this region. This is especially true near mountains, which provided safe places for plants to survive during the Ice Ages.

Why Protect the Peel Watershed?

The Peel Watershed is very important for many reasons, especially because of climate change.

Climate Change and the Peel

This part of the world is expected to experience some of the biggest changes from global warming. Scientists predict that by 2100, average temperatures could be 10-15 degrees warmer.

Protecting large, natural areas like the Peel Watershed helps nature deal with climate change. These areas are strong and can adapt to changes because they are:

• Huge: They cover a very large space.
• Intact: They are mostly undisturbed by human activity.
• Connected: They link different types of environments.
• Diverse: They have many different kinds of plants and animals.

These features allow ecosystems to respond on their own to a changing climate. The Peel River connects different habitats, like forests, arctic tundra, and mountain areas. This means it can be a vital pathway for animals and plants to move as their homes change due to climate change.

Protecting areas like the Peel Plateau, which has peat lands, is also important. Peat lands store a lot of carbon. Keeping them healthy helps reduce greenhouse gases in the air. This can slow down global warming.

The Peel Watershed and Y2Y

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a group working to protect wildlife and natural areas from Yellowstone National Park all the way to the Yukon. They want to keep large natural spaces connected. The Peel Watershed is the northern end of this important area. If the entire Peel Watershed were protected, it would greatly increase the protected land within the Y2Y region. This is a big step for conservation, especially with future climate changes.

How is Land Use Planned in the Peel?

The Umbrella Final Agreement is a document that explains how land use planning works in the Yukon. The Yukon is divided into regions, often based on First Nations traditional lands. First Nations have control over their settlement lands. The Yukon Government makes final decisions about other public lands. However, land-use planning is a team effort. Everyone, including the public, can share their ideas.

A special group called the Planning Commission was formed in 2004. Their goal is to "ensure wilderness, wildlife, cultural sites, and waters are kept healthy over time." They also manage how resources are used. This includes traditional uses, trapping, outdoor fun, and exploring for minerals. The main aim is to manage development so that nature stays healthy. The long-term goal is to return all lands to their natural state.

In 2011, the Planning Commission suggested a plan for the Peel Watershed. It proposed that 55% of the region be fully protected. Another 25% would be wilderness areas with temporary protection. The remaining 19.4% would allow some resource use, but with careful management and community input.

However, in 2012, the Yukon government suggested a different plan. This plan would allow much more industrial development in the area than the Commission's proposal.

What About Mining and Resources?

So far, no major mining has happened in the Peel Watershed. Only gravel pits for the Dempster Highway have been used.

The Peel Plateau and Eagle Plains ecoregions might have oil and gas. There are also 13 important mineral sites in the area. Two of these are large deposits:

• The Crest iron ore deposit in the Snake River basin.
• The Bonnet Plume Coal deposit in a nearby valley.

The Crest Deposit belongs to Chevron. These large deposits would need roads, railways, and pipelines to be developed. Many mining claims have been made in the Peel Watershed since the planning process started. To protect the area during planning, a temporary ban on new mining claims was put in place in 2010 and extended in 2011.

What is the Economy of the Peel Watershed Like?

While mineral exploration was worth about $6 million a year from 2006 to 2008, there is no active mining or oil and gas exploration happening now.

However, there is a strong guide and outfitter industry. Six big game outfitters operate in the Peel Watershed. They guide hunts for sheep, moose, caribou, and bears. This industry brings in $2–3 million a year. It can continue as long as there are large wilderness areas to support wildlife.

The Peel's rivers are famous for canoeing and attract tourists from all over the world. Up to 20 wilderness guides and outfitters support this industry. It generates about $500,000 a year. This type of tourism relies even more on undisturbed wilderness than big game hunting. Wilderness tourism could grow a lot if managed well. The Dempster Highway also brings many visitors to the region, offering the only road access and campgrounds.

Court Case: Protecting the Peel

On December 1, 2017, an important court case happened. It was called the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun v. Yukon (Government of). The highest court in Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada, made a big decision.

The court said that the Yukon government could not open the Peel Watershed for development. They also ruled that the government could not change the Planning Commission's plan so much. The court decided that the agreements with the First Nations did not allow the Yukon government to make such big changes to the plan. This decision helped protect the Peel Watershed.