Hydrology

"Charlie Peter Charlie tells the story of Archie Linklater and his wife who had set their camp along Surprise Creek. They were sound asleep in their tent in the middle of the night when Archie was awoken by his feet getting wet. The creek had risen rapidly in the night and was soaking the bottom of his sleeping gear. Thus the name Surprise Creek." from Rampart House to Crow Flats Heritage Route Investigation (Vuntut Gwitchin Heritage Office 1997)

INTRODUCTION

Closely related to geomorphology and climate is the science of hydrology, the study of surface and underground waters, including rivers, lakes, springs, and marshes. Hydrology involves the study of the physical processes affecting water in its vapour, liquid, and solid states; in the atmosphere, in the soil and rock, in the exposed water in streams and lakes, and in snow and ice. Hydrology integrates the results of atmospheric processes with those of topography.

Vuntut National Park and the Old Crow Special Management Area (SMA) fall within the drainage basin of the slow moving Porcupine River which joins the Yukon River near Fort Yukon in Alaska, making it part of the vast trans-border Yukon River Basin ( Figure 8.1a). The Old Crow River meanders through the study area collecting water from the creeks that drain the mountains and hills which form the sides of the Old Crow Basin and then flows south to join the Porcupine River near the village of Old Crow ( Figure 8.1b).

The most significant hydrological feature of Vuntut National Park and Old Crow Special Management area is the Old Crow Flats, a spectacular wetland which contains hundreds of lakes ( Figure 8.2). Many of the lakes are square or rectangular and oriented in a northwest-southeast direction ( Figure 8.3). The spectacular meanders of the Old Crow River, which winds through the Flats, have formed numerous lakes as the river course changes, isolating a part of the river bed to form oxbow lakes and sometimes a series of oxbow lakes ( Figure 8.4).	Figure 3. Click figure to enlarge and see other figures.
These wetlands are of great local, national and international importance. They provide a habitat for the wildlife that support the Vuntut Gwitchin, the "People among the lakes". Not only does the area support half a million waterfowl each year, but the birds are more concentrated here than at other locations in the north. In years when drought dries up the Canadian prairies, even more birds fly north to the Flats. Nor is it only a habitat for birds. The lakes of the Flats are also home to the muskrat, an important part of the seasonal round of the Vuntut Gwitchin. Many other forms of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife also make the Old Crow Flats their home.	Figure 4. Click figure to enlarge and see other figures.
There are two main hydrological topics of immediate concern to the people of Old Crow. The first stems from the Vuntut Gwitchin concern that the Old Crow Flats are drying up, thus endangering their way of life. The second is the frequent threat of flooding of Old Crow village in the spring. Both of these will be discussed in terms of present knowledge and possible action.