Connecting Through Water: Insights from the Yukon Lakes Virtual Roundtable
Yukon lakes are sentinels of change, and that change is already unfolding.
To share knowledge, experiences, and perspectives on Yukon’s changing lakes, over 50 participants came together on February 27th for a virtual roundtable. This gathering stemmed from a recommendation made at the 2023 Celebrating The Lakes event in Whitehorse to host regular virtual roundtables. The goal of these roundtables is to continue building momentum by providing a space for project updates, strengthening connections, and highlighting on-the-ground observations from ongoing lake monitoring efforts.
While the depth of knowledge and experiences shared at this online event can’t be fully captured, this blog features some key takeaways from the presentations and breakout discussions.
Living Lakes Canada thanks all the speakers and participants for contributing to the first virtual roundtable, made possible with funding from the Government of Yukon. Your insights and contributions to lake monitoring and knowledge sharing are helping deepen our understanding and appreciation of these cherished waters.
Haa Héen Ḵusteeyí (“Our water ways”): Community-Based Monitoring of Changes in Water in Carcross/Tagish First Nation’s Traditional Territory
Presenters: Amaya Cherian-Hall and Colleen James, Carcross/Tagish First Nation
“Water is not only important for physical health, it’s important to our spiritual and emotional well-being… what we do to the land, we do to ourselves,” shared Colleen James of Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN).
Since 2011, C/TFN has identified key monitoring areas, gathered Traditional Knowledge, and developed monitoring protocols.
The data collected feeds into the Indigenous Observation Network (ION), a program focused on understanding past and current climate-driven changes in the Yukon River Basin. Over 45 years of measurements at a midpoint in the river show a 3°C temperature increase, with findings confirming that climate change is driving surface water geochemistry.
Getting C/TFN youth involved in the monitoring is an important part of the project. It aims to “help them connect with the land, build relationships with water and have an understanding of what water quality means from a Western science lens,” said Amaya.
Research Panel and Breakout Discussions
Yukon Lakes and Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of 30 years of Change
Presenter: Marie Alibert, PhD Student, L’Université Laval
What changes have occurred in Yukon lakes over the past 30 years? This was the question tackled by PhD student, Marie Alibert, in 2024. To find answers, Marie traveled to 23 Yukon lakes spread out over 500 kilometres to collect water samples and measurements. These included key parameters such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Sediment cores were also collected to study the microscopic algae, or diatoms, that settle at the bottom of lakes. This information helps track how lake conditions have changed over time.
The comparative analysis revealed several important findings, including that climate change is increasing lake productivity (the rate at which plants and algae grow), and ecosystems typically found further south are now shifting northward.
During the breakout discussion, Marie highlighted one surprising result: a decrease in dissolved organic carbon across every lake monitored. This was unexpected because climate change usually causes this parameter to increase. The group also discussed the significance of continuing to collect data and conduct long-term comparisons that offer valuable insights into ongoing climate impacts on lakes.
Lake Watch: Maintaining a Lake Hydrological Monitoring Program in Van Tat Using Water Samples and Satellites
Presenters: Ian McDonald, Ecologist, Vuntut National Park, Parks Canada / Dr. Kevin Turner, Associate Professor, Brock University
Van Tat, otherwise known as “The Place of Lakes” or “Old Crow Flats,” is a large wetland that stretches over 5,600 kilometres in a remote area of northern Yukon. Over the years, community concerns about lakes in Van Tat drying up led to monitoring efforts in this ecologically rich area.
Since 2007, the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Brock University and Parks Canada have gathered Traditional Knowledge, water isotope data, and remote sensing information to better understand how Van Tat lakes are changing. With 18 years of data, findings reveal significant variability in how lakes respond to conditions like drought, and a rise in lake drainage events.
“There are things going on that are responses to changing climate including lake drainage, shrub growth, fire, thaw slumps… While it’s a resilient landscape, it represents an important place to understand how changing climate is affecting the north,” said Dr. Kevin Turner.
The breakout group discussed ways to enhance local community involvement in the monitoring program and explore how communities can take on a larger, long-term role in supporting these efforts. While relationship-building is essential, challenges remain in building capacity and coordinating the work between on-the-ground researchers, government agencies, and local communities.
Establishing an Interdisciplinary Science Program Grounded in Local Priorities in the Yukon River Headwaters
Presenters: Dr. Ashley Dubnick, Senior Research Professional, Yukon University / Dr. Kyra St. Pierre, Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Launched in 2023, the Yukon River Headwaters (YRH) program aims to support and strengthen existing community-based monitoring initiatives over the long-term. Adopting a whole watershed approach, YRH monitors a wide range of parameters across headwater landscapes, tributaries and streams, and headwater lakes.
Collaboration, capacity-sharing and co-learning are central to the program, helping to “ground research in local interests, priorities and culture of this region,” said Dr. Ashley Dubnick. By integrating these approaches, the program seeks to create versatile databases that can help address critical watershed questions and meet community needs.
Breakout discussions spoke to the enthusiasm and momentum that comes with a community-centred approach. Through this approach, Dr. Dubnick and Dr. St Pierre discovered many ongoing water monitoring initiatives that could be built upon. These opportunities might have been overlooked with a more conventional research method.
Investigating the Risk of Cyanobacterial Blooms in Yukon Lakes
Presenter: Dr. Kevin Erratt, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Toronto
Cyanobacterial blooms, or blue-green algae, are becoming a growing concern in Yukon lakes. These microscopic organisms tend to thrive in warm, nutrient-rich waters, which are more common in the heavily populated southern parts of Canada. However, as climate change and human activities put more pressure on northern lakes, cyanobacterial blooms are starting to appear farther north. This is worrisome because some types of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can be harmful to people, fish, and wildlife..
Evidence of increasing cyanobacteria in northern lakes includes multiple unprecedented blooms, such as those in Jackfish Lake, NWT and Little Salmon Lake, YT. There is a growing need to monitor cyanobacteria levels and examine risks to communities, particularly in northern environments where climate impacts are more pronounced.
Dr. Kevin Erratt’s research aims to assess present-day cyanobacterial risks through lake sampling while also reconstructing historical changes in cyanobacteria levels using satellite imagery and lake sediments. This work will establish environmental baselines to benchmark current changes in Yukon lakes.
In the breakout discussion, participants shared observations and experiences with algal blooms in the Yukon, including Nares Lake and nearby tributaries, as well as the Nicola-Thompson region of B.C., where blooms have been a persistent concern. These insights offered valuable perspectives on the challenges facing Yukon and transboundary watersheds as climate change continues to affect lake ecosystems.
Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh Land Monitoring Program – Kaska Land Guardians
Presenter: Tanya Ball (Dahkadle), Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh Coordinator, Dena Kayeh Institute
Serving as the “ears and eyes” on the ground, the Kaska Land Guardians program plays an important role in supporting the practice of responsible land stewardship within the local community. Since its launch in 2018, the program has continued to evolve, and in August 2023, conversations began to establish a dedicated lake monitoring initiative. By collecting lake data, the program aims to assess overall lake health and track the impacts of climate change across Kaska Traditional Territory.
In August 2024, the team sampled four of the nine lakes identified by the Dena Kayeh Institute, including McKenna Lake. The program provides training on collecting various lake monitoring parameters, with plans to coordinate with the Yukon Government in 2025 to expand sampling processes. Engaging youth is also a key component of the program, offering hands-on opportunities to inspire the next generation of land and water stewards.
Sneak Peek: The Government of Yukon’s Water Data Explorer
Presenter: Ghislain de Laplante, Water and Climate Data Scientist, Yukon Government’s Water Resources Branch
The Government of Yukon’s Water Data Explorer seeks to make “easily accessible transparent data available to everyone,” said Ghislain de Laplante during the sneak peek tour. The tool will integrate diverse water data sources and enable technical and non-technical users to gain meaningful insights into Yukon watersheds. The platform will allow users to plot data from various locations, select parameters and date ranges, zoom and pan maps, and generate graphs.
A key discussion point was the potential to expand the Water Data Explorer into a territory-wide portal that includes non-government data. While more data leads to greater awareness and better decision-making, important considerations remain, such as data sovereignty, ownership, privacy, and integration with existing data hubs. The Water Data Explorer is currently in development.
Want to learn more about the Yukon Lakes Monitoring Initiative? Visit the program page.
Thank you to the Government of Yukon for generously funding this event.
