Yukon Territory Updates
Canadian colleagues have reported a fairly quiet 2025 season for Yukon River drainage fish habitat restoration activities. However, if we missed covering a project, please email us at kfraley@wcs.org so we can add the information
Eagle Gold Mine Rehabilitation
In our spring newsletter, we covered the Eagle Gold Mine disaster that occurred in Yukon Territory, Canada, and rehabilitation plans for streams it affected in the Yukon River drainage. Find that article here.
Water treatment and other activities led by government contractors and First Nations including First Nation’s of Na-cho Nyäk Dun have continued to occur during the 2025 summer and autumn season, and plans are being made to secure mine tailings ponds for the winter and spring breakup seasons to prevent further releases of contaminated water into streams. For more updates, visit the project page here.
A brief overview of recent activities is listed below
-The mine and Victoria Gold company have been put up for sale as part of the “receivership” (i.e., similar to bankruptcy) proceedings. Gold extraction/mining activity could be allowed to continue under any new owners
-Remediation of the tailings heap and dams at risk of collapse has been delayed due to engineering challenges and environmental risks
-Surface water, groundwater, and air quality at the site and surrounding waterbodies continues to be monitored to detect any further breaches
-Water treatment continues for tailings ponds that are in danger of breaching due to runoff and landslides, with the plan to be better-prepared for winter under-ice conditions, and for spring 2026 thaw and runoff events. One of the tailings ponds that was leaking continues to be repaired.
-Treated water discharged into Eagle Creek, a tributary of Haggart Creek, continues to result in levels of cyanide that translate to chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms
-Fish “salvage” activities continued through August 2025 at Haggart Creek, where fish were caught and moved to other areas that are at lower risk of contamination from mine releases
-Molasses and yeast were added to one of the tailings ponds to trial biological breakdown of cyanide compounds. Results of the treatment will be tracked over the winter
-Some fish barriers were removed as of November 2025, to allow for fish migration into areas of Haggart Creek deemed adequate for occupancy
-Benthic invertebrate monitoring in Haggart Creek is ongoing, to track habitat quality
Arctic Beringia Fish Ecology 