Yukon River- Alaska's Beautiful River With Unique Biodiversity

The Yukon River. It is the third longest river in North America and the longest in Yukon and Alaska, with a length of approximately 3,200 kilometers. The river originates near the southern end of Atlan Lake in British Columbia, where Llewellyn Glacier is its source. The river flows through Yukon and the central part of Alaska in the United States and Canada before emptying into the Bering Sea. The river basin has a drainage area of about 3,22,000 square miles, shared between the United States and Canada. The name Yukon comes from an indigenous language called Gwich'in, which means Great River. In fact, the Yukon Territory is named after the Yukon River. The Yukon Basin is one of North America's most sparsely populated and least developed regions. The river basin's scenery, isolation, and sparse population make it attractive to tourists around the world. The river is home to one of the longest salmon runs in the world, with various salmons migrating long distances for spawning. The Yukon River has the world's most extended fish ladder, located at the Whitehorse Fishway. It measures 1,200 feet and helps Chinook salmon on their migration. Russian explorers and fur traders extensively explored the Yukon River in the 19th century. By 1846, the Russians had mapped 970 kilometers of the Lower River, and Robert Campbell established a trading post at Fort Selkirk. For thousands of years, indigenous peoples lived along the Yukon River. These communities relied heavily on the river, primarily in the form of salmon. The river supported many tribes, including the Yupik, Gwich'in, and Southern Tuchin. The river served material needs and played an important spiritual and cultural role. During the Klundik Gold Rush of 1896 to 1903, nearly 100,000 prospectors flooded the Yukon in search of gold. Many people who traveled to the Klundik region arrived on paddle boats and other watercraft along the Yukon River. In honor of this event, the 30-mile section of the river between Lake Laberge and the confluence with the Teslin River is designated as a National Heritage River. The Yukon Basin is home to various mammals, including moose, grizzly bears, and wolves. Some birds include multicolored mountain bluebirds, goose, swans, and ducks. The forested valleys around the river are inhabited by herbivorous mammals, including caribou, deer, and mountain goats. The Indian population is known to have muskrat, lynx, weasel, and squirrel. Some of the fish species include arctic grayling, salmon, and whitefish. The Yukon River faces several potential threats, including pollution, climate change, and landscape alteration. In recent years, pollution from military installations and mining operations has caused high suspended sediment concentrations, affecting the water quality and the animals and people that rely on it to survive. Thank you for watching the video, for more interesting facts, make sure you hit the like and subscribe button, until then peace out.