The Fish Habitat Management System for Yukon Placer Mining replaced the Yukon Place Authorization (YPA) in 15 Yukon watersheds on April 11, 2008. Founded on principles of adaptive management and incorporating a risk-based approach to decision-making, the system is intended to balance the objectives of a sustainable Yukon placer mining industry with the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat supporting fisheries Adaptive management recognizes that the effectiveness of any management system is hampered by a degree of uncertainty and lack of knowledge. It seeks to improve the system by monitoring the effects of management actions, in order to learn from the results. The Adaptive Management Framework for Yukon placer mining is complemented by traditional knowledge and water quality objectives monitoring, aquatic health monitoring and economic health monitoring programs. The results should provide new information and a rational basis for making any adjustments required to achieve the two management objectives. The water quality objectives monitoring program is governed by the Water Quality Objectives Monitoring Protocol. The Protocol describes the locations, timing, frequency and methods employed during sampling, as well as the methods used to analyze sampling data. Precipitation data was collected from a variety of sources to assist in the interpretation of results. The water quality objectives monitoring program relies upon both continuous sampling and grab sampling. Continuous sampling is performed by automated instruments that pump water from the creek or river at a preset volume and at precise times each day. Grab samples are taken by personnel at a selected location, depth and time. Normally the quantity of water taken is sufficient for all the physical and chemical analyses that will be done on the sample. Grab sampling is also performed during sampling "blitzes", when single grab samples are collected from as many sites as possible within a short timeframe in order to get a snapshot of the water quality in a watershed over a 24 hour period. Distributed from [GeoYukon](https://yukon.ca/geoyukon) by the [Government of Yukon](https://yukon.ca/maps) . Discover more digital map data and interactive maps from Yukon's digital map data collection. For more information: [geomatics.help@yukon.ca](mailto:geomatics.help@yukon.ca)

This report documents the state of the Placer Mining Industry in the Yukon Territory for the 1993 and 1994 mining seasons. This report differs from previous volumes in that the placer mining inspection reports are organized by drainage basin. The majority of this volume consists of detailed descriptions of placer operations visited by the staff of the Placer Mining Section of the Mineral Development Division, Northern Affairs Program, Yukon Region. Also included is information that may be useful to readers who are interested in searching for and developing placer properties in the Yukon Territory. This volume contains four papers of general interest: "Prehistoric gold" describes the discovery of an extinct Ice Age horse; "Water" is a brief account that tells of the difficulties, historically, in obtaining water for placer mining; "Oldest valid Yukon placer claims" describes claims kept in good standing for the greatest length of time; and "The early development of placer mining in the Yukon 1873-1896" is a historical overview of the development of placer mining in the Yukon.

This report documents the state of the Placer Mining Industry in the Yukon Territory for the 1991 and 1992 mining seasons. The majority of this volume consists of detailed descriptions of placer operations visited by the staff of the Placer Mining Section of the Mineral Development Division, Northern Affairs Program, Yukon Region. Also included is information that may be useful to readers who are interested in searching for and developing placer properties in the Yukon Territory.

There have recently been many changes in the way mining exploration projects operate, including new technologies, new exploration targets and new environmental regulations. Following recent amendments, to the Yukon Quartz and Placer Mining Acts, a significant new piece of legislation came into effect in December, 1999. The Yukon Quartz Mining Land Use Regulations, administered by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, now requires the reclamation of disturbed land on mining claims. But what happens at these reclaimed sites several years after the work is finished? Is there more than one way to successfully reclaim such land? How do local conditions affect the regrowth of plants on these sites and how much preparation of the reclaimed surface is needed? This report may not provide answers to all these questions, but it presents data collected at several Yukon sites, each with different ages and having had different reclamation treatments. From these observations, patterns on the success or failure of revegetation programs emerge and provide information on the rate and extent of natural revegetation at reclaimed mining trenches. Several types of reclamation sites were looked at in several different areas of Yukon, both above and below the treeline. Three of these were exploration trenches that were backfilled and revegetated as part of an experimental reclamation program in 1995. These reclaimed exploration sites included the Red Ridge trench, near Annie Lake in the Whitehorse area, the Nucleus trench, west of Carmacks and the Hawk trench near Dawson City. Each of these reclaimed trenches were revegetated with different seed and fertilizer mixes. This report summarizes how these sites looked in 1999, four years after the reclamation work was done. At Division Mountain, west of Braeburn, several coal trenches and drill pads were reclaimed by a mineral exploration company between 1995 and 1997. These sites were also looked at in 1999 in order to measure the success of the revegetation program. The last place visited in 1999 was Jason Knoll near Macmillan Pass where a number of exploration trenches and drill pads were reclaimed in the early 1980s. This site provides a look at the longer-term success rate of a revegetation program near the treeline. Refilled and contoured trenches, with rough and loose surfaces seem to revegetate well. The replacement of original soil is most important and makes the most significant contribution to the revegetation process, particularly at high elevation sites or sites in extreme climatic conditions. The replacement of tree debris significantly improves habitat conditions for small mammals by decreasing access and visibility for predators.

This report is a synthesis of the Yukon Geological Survey’s placer fieldwork and captures information collected from approximately 120 site visits conducted each season. Information is supplemented by details from staff at Compliance Monitoring and Inspections and, from conversations throughout the off-season with miners. This edition of the placer industry report is larger than ever, which speaks to the level of activity in the various districts and our commitment to providing an accurate record. In order to provide practical information, we have continued to increase the amount of geological detail in the report. The scope of the report also aims to capture mining activity and equipment utilized at each site. This helps frame the style of mining and gives a general idea about mine layout and processing techniques. The overall aim of the property descriptions is to provide a reference that is both insightful in the short term and informative decades into the future.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act legislates that development activities requiring federal permits be assessed through environmental screening, and environmental impacts mitigated with existing technology. The implementation of Mining Land Use Regulations on mineral claims in Yukon will require routine environmental impact assessment within a permitting system. A database of known environmental impacts related to mineral exploration and placer mining will thus make the screening process more efficient. This particular project focuses on three different mining districts of Yukon, and provides information on soil, overburden, vegetation, slope stability, and permafrost conditions on disturbed and undisturbed surfaces related to mineral exploration and placer mining. Disturbances included in this study consist of trenches (dating from 1912 to 1993), drill pads (dating from 1967 to 1993), ripped and compacted surfaces associated with roads and camps, and placer mine highwalls and tailings piles (dating from 1911 to 1993). Observations include detailed vegetation description(tree, tall shrubs, low shrub, dwarf shrub, herb, graminoid, and mosses and lichens layers), soil texture and basic chemistry, slope, height, width and age of the trenches, elevation, aspect and latitude of the site, and description of any active processes such as slope erosion, permafrost degradation, failure, sheet erosion and gullying. The preferred sites and rates of natural revegetation by pioneer species were related to disturbance characteristics, such as trench orientation, surface compaction, and presence or absence of permafrost. Recommendations on site abandonment and treatment were formulated using analysis of the above data. Factors most important to the natural revegetation of sites were identified as elevation (alpine versus subalpine), at least 20 centimetres of soil with at least 20% fine-grained matrix, and stable slopes with angles of 45 degrees or less. Trench design, mixture of organic matter with the surface material, aspect and slope position of the disturbance are significant factors, but of lesser importance. Placer mined sites located in fine-grained, organic and ice-rich sites were found to reclaim both cuts and tailings successfully within five to ten years. The least intrusive approach to site reclamation is to abandon disturbances in a state such that natural colonization could take place within a few years, and the site re-integrated to its ecosystem within a reasonable period of time. However, in some cases, slopes will not reach stable profile without the help of surface vegetation. More aggressive revegetation procedures may then be required (contouring and/or seeding), especially when dealing with high alpine sites. A revegetation strategy should take into consideration the local ecosystem and plant succession. Species imported to the area should facilitate, not eliminate, the re-entry of local pioneer forb, grass and shrubs species. A program designed to test the optimum conditions for site abandonment could provide further information on physical requirement for physical design of abandoned features and possible seed/fertilizer mixtures in alpine and subalpine areas.

The Yukon Placer Industry Report is a reflection of the strong working relationship between the Yukon Geological Survey (YGS) and the Yukon placer mining industry. Our annual tours into the various gold fields are always productive and provide new details on placer gold settings, which are encapsulated in this report.

The Yukon Placer Mining Industry report reflects the strong relationship between the Yukon Geological Survey (YGS) and the Yukon placer mining industry. Our annual tours into the various gold fields are always productive and provide new details on placer gold settings, which this report encapsulates.

In order to summarize the status of the Yukon NGR program this report provides details on the collection, preparation and analysis of stream sediment samples located within the Yukon territorial boundary; the current condition of the published digital database; and the type quality and quantity of archived sediment pulps saved from previous NGR surveys.