Yukon
Flats National Wildlife Refuge
Waters of the Yukon Flats,
Yukon
Flats NWR
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) hydrologists and others assessed selected
water resources of the Yukon Flats NWR during the 1990s. Investigations
focused on selected rivers and lakes where water resources were quantified by
stream gaging and lake elevation studies. After
completing these investigations, the FWS filed applications with the State of
Alaska
for
water rights (instream flow reservations) on 34 lakes within the Refuge. The
FWS filed 12 applications for instream flow reservations for 12 stream
segments of the Refuge in 2002 and 2006. Additional water rights applications
for Refuge rivers may be forthcoming.
Water rights applications for lakes
The FWS determined surface water elevations of numerous lakes within the Yukon
Flats NWR in 1995. Between September 12, 2000, and September 13, 2001, the
FWS filed water rights applications with the State of
Alaska
, Department of Natural Resources,
for 34 selected lakes for the purpose of reserving instream flow (lake
levels) to protect the habitat, migration, and propagation of fish and
wildlife. The lakes are located south of the
Yukon River
,
most found in the vicinity of Beaver Creek. Other lakes are located in the
vicinity of Birch Creek and Lower Mouth Birch Creek. The lakes for which
water rights applications have been filed are shown on the lakes map (pdf). Filing for State instream water rights does
not diminish the existing, unquantified Federal reserved water rights of the
Yukon Flats NWR.
Waters rights applications for streams
The FWS quantified stream discharge of selected streams in the Yukon Flats
NWR during the 1990s. In 2002, the FWS filed 10 water rights applications
with the State of
Alaska
,
Department of Natural Resources, for 10 stream segments with the purpose of
reserving instream flows to protect habitat, migration, and propagation of
fish and wildlife. These stream segments are located within the Beaver Creek,
Birch Creek, Hodzana, Hadweenzic, Sheenjek, and Little Black river basins. The
priority dates for these 10 water rights applications is the date of filing,
September 20, 2002. In 2006 the FWS also filed two applications for instream
flow reservations on the
Black River
(not
shown below). Filing for State
instream water rights does not diminish the existing, unquantified Federal
reserved water rights. The river gage map shows the distribution of Refuge streamflow gage
sites and stream segments with water rights applications. Information about
water rights applications filed for streams of the Yukon Flats NWR can be
viewed by clicking on a highlighted river name in the table below.
Stream gage data supporting water rights.
Last updated: September 4, 2008
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