Yukon River Data Reports

Although the Yukon River is the fourth largest river system in North America, its remote location makes any in-depth investigation of it difficult. To overcome this difficulty, USGS scientists used a combination of sampling at five fixed stations and synoptic survey sampling to conduct a five-year water quality study of a 3000 km reach of the Yukon River from its headwaters in the Yukon Territory, Canada, to Pilot Station, Alaska near its mouth and just above tidal influence.

The following reports contain water-quality and sediment-quality data from samples collected in the Yukon River Basin during five water years (WY) at five stations in the basin (three on the main stem Yukon River, one each on the Tanana and Porcupine Rivers). A broad range of physical, chemical, and biological analyses are presented:

• WY 2001: Schuster, P.F., ed., 2003, Water and sediment quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, during water year 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-427. (2.5 MB)
• WY 2002: Schuster, P.F., ed., 2005, Water and sediment quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, during water year 2002: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1199, 82 p. (29.9 MB)
• WY 2003: Schuster, P.F., ed., 2005, Water and sediment quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, during water year 2003: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1397, 81 p. (17.5 MB)
• WY 2004: Schuster, P.F., ed., 2006, Water and sediment quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, during water year 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1258, 82 p. (13.8 MB)
• WY 2005: Schuster, P.F., 2007, Water and sediment quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, during water year 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1037, 65 p. (3.7 MB)

The following reports contain water-quality and sediment-quality data, collected through intensive synoptic sampling, from the Yukon River and selected major tributaries in Alaska.

• Dornblaser, M.M. and D.R. Halm, eds., 2006, Water and sediment quality of the Yukon River and its tributaries, from Eagle to St. Marys, Alaska, 2002-2003: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1228, 201 p. (18 MB)
• Halm, D.R., and Dornblaser, M.M., 2007, Water and sediment quality in the Yukon River and its tributaries between Atlin, British Columbia, Canada, and Eagle, Alaska, USA, 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1197, 120 p. (16.8 MB)

For additional information, contact Rob Striegl, rstriegl@usgs.gov