Yukon Territory: Other Happenings

Juvenile fish, including salmon, were rescued from high water habitats by First Nations and moved to places where they could survive. This practice will continue in 2026

Stranded fish rescue

A Yukon First Nation is planning to salvage juvenile fish along the Yukon River for the anticipated high water in the spring. In previous years, gee traps and nets were used to capture fish stranded in pools as water receded and became disconnected from the river. Fish are then released back into the river.

Juvenile fish, including salmon, were rescued from high water habitats by First Nations and moved to places where they could survive. This practice will continue in 2026

Eagle Mine disaster and rehabilitation update

Fish monitoring sites near the Eagle Gold Mine. Image and information: https://yukon.ca/en/eagle-gold-fish-monitoring-map

​We previously relayed news on stream and landscape restoration efforts after the 2024 Eagle Gold Mine failure in the Yukon Territory/Yukon River drainage that caused sediment and contamination to enter streams. Read more about what happened and current status via these excellent presentation slides from First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun

Updates on activities are scant, but there is a 2027 target for oversight of cleanup and rehabilitation. The heap leach facility is continuing to be stabilized, water monitoring is occurring at adjacent waterbodies, and water management for the spring meltwater period will ensure that further contamination is minimized.

Some recent news on the issue can be found at the links below, and we hope to provide a more descriptive update for the next newsletter edition

Yukon extends credit agreement with Victoria Gold receiver as Eagle mine sale pushes into new year

Yukon moves on Eagle Mine reforms amid warnings root cause not known

Water treatment to resume at Eagle Gold Mine with preparations for spring melt underway

Click here to go back to the main page/other articles