Resilience and Adaptation: Yukon River Watershed Contaminant Risk Indicators

Abstract

River watersheds are among the most complex terrestrial features in Alaska, performing valuable ecosystem functions and providing services for human society. Rivers are vital to both estuarine and aquatic biota and play important roles in biogeochemical cycles and physical processes. The functions of watersheds have been used as vulnerability indicators for ecosystem and socioeconomic resilience. Despite a long history of human activity, the Yukon River has not received the holistic and interdisciplinary attention given to the other great American river systems. By using hypothesis-based monitoring of key watershed functions, we can gain insight to regime-shifting stresses such as fire, toxins, and invasive species development. Coupling adaptive risk management practices involving stakeholders with place-based education, especially contaminants and nutrition related, can maintain resilience within communities. The Yukon watershed provides a broadscale opportunity for communities to monitor the environment, manage resources, and contribute to stewardship policy formation. Monitoring keystone species and community activities, such as citizen science, are critical first steps to following changes to resiliency throughout the Yukon watershed. Creating a policy environment that encourages local experimentation and innovation contributes to resilience maintenance during development-imposed stress.

Figure 1

Map of the Yukon River watershed. The Yukon is the third longest river in North America and the fourth largest drainage in North America. https://www.yritwc.org/yukon-river-watershed. Credit: Maryann Fidel, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council.

Figure 2

The Yukon River Watershed's footprint compared to Alaska and the United States. Credit: Laris Karklis. Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council.

Figure 3

Alaskan potable water sites that are vulnerable and at risk for contamination. Credit: Maryann Fidel, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council.

Figure 4

Potential Indicators of ecosystem health.

Figure 5

Resilience framework related to monitoring environmental stressors.

Figure 6

Citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring contribute to socialecological resilience by building human capital, social capital, natural capital, and sense of place. Documented outcomes in each category are summarized from the review conceptualized by Spellman [58].