Nahanni National Park Reserve

Nahanni National Park Reserve
Howard's Pass
Coordinates: 61 ° 32 ′ 56 "  N , 125 ° 48 ′ 55.5"  W.
Location:	Northwest Territories , Canada
Next city:	Fort Simpson
Surface:	30,050 km²
Founding:	1976
Visitors:	1,082 (2016/2017)

The Nahanni National Park Reserve ( English Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada , French Réserve de parc national du Canada Nahanni ) is a 30,050 km² protected area with a national park status in the Canadian Northwest Territories .

It extends 500 km west of Yellowknife along the South Nahanni River and was expanded in 2009 from the original 4765 km² to its present size, although the legal relationship of the country between the Canadian federal government and the Indians of the Dene and Métis, organized as Dehcho First Nations are not yet fully clarified. For this reason, the Nahanni National Park Reserve has not yet been formally designated as a national park, but has been designated a National Park Reserve since 1976, which was intended for the foundation phase .

The protected area was established in 1976 and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978 . It is one of the first on the world natural heritage list. The park is an IUCN Category II ( National Park ) protected area managed by Parks Canada , a Crown Agency (federal agency).

In the national park are the 96 m high Virginia Falls . Due to its remoteness, the park only has around 1000 visitors annually.

history

The establishment of the national park was first proposed in the later 1960s. This was preceded by plans to build a hydroelectric power station on the South Nahanni River below the Virginia Falls, which would have had serious effects on the environment. In 1972 , a first park corridor was established along the river, from the edge of the Batholith rocks ("Ragged Range") on Rabbitkettle Lake to downstream to the confluence with the Liard River .

In 1971 newly discovered limestone caves at First Canyon were explored, which led to further study of the geomorphology and hydrology of the reserve on behalf of Parks Canada. After the flora , fauna and ecological zones were documented at the same time , the reserve was then registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

In 2009 the park was expanded significantly to include the Ram Basin and the entire South Nahanni Basin, which is owned by the Dehcho First Nations. Excluded from the enlargement of the national park are the two mining areas on the Flat River ( Cantung ) and on Prairie Creek, a tributary on the north bank of the South Nahanni, where zinc , lead and silver are mined. In 2012, the area of ​​the Sahtu First Nations bordering the park to the northwest was founded as Naats'ihch'oh National Park .

geography

Virginia Falls

The park is located in the northern part of the Taiga Cordillera , a varied landscape zone with mountain ranges, rolling hills, plateaus, wide depressions and cut valleys. The western end is formed by the Selwyn Mountains of the Mackenzie Mountains and the sawtooth-shaped volcanic Ragged Range , each of which has glaciers . The southern border is formed by the Boreal Cordillera , the eastern edge extends into the taiga plain. In a valley below the Ragged Range, the Rabbitkettle , a 60 m wide tuff hill , 30 m high with intricate terraces , is piled up around a hot spring. In stark contrast, there are sections in the middle and east of the park with deeply rugged sandstone, mud, slate and limestone hills of the Funeral and Headless Ranges as well as the Tlogotsho and Liard Plateaus and the Mackenzie Mountains.

Large parts of the park center have remained unglaciated for up to 300,000 years. At the east end are 6 m high, wind-eroded forms made of white sandstone , the so-called sand blowouts , and the Yohin Lake . The limestone landscape in the catchment area north of the reserve is considered to be the most important subarctic karst with the most distinctive disintegrated karst landscape in the northern hemisphere . The Valerie Grotto, which is closed to visitors, is considered to be one of the most beautiful ice caves in the world. It contains large chambers, a 1,900 m long tunnel system and the "Gallery of the Dead Sheep", in which around 100 lost Dall sheep died.

Around 270 kilometers of the South Nahanni River, which drains over the Liard River into the Mackenzie Basin , and a seventh of its 35,000 square kilometers catchment area lie within the park. The South Nahanni and its tributary, the Flat River , are older than most of the mountain ranges they flank. Within the park, the river loses a total of 475 meters in height, but over the spectacular Virginia Falls, which are almost twice as high as the Niagara Falls , it plunges over 90 meters in depth. Then it flows 70 kilometers through a series of four, 460 to 1200 meter deep gorges and through karst terrain with grottos, sinkholes , labyrinths, narrow gorges and an underground river system. The river level is low in winter, but after the spring melt , severe floods and torrential flooding occur from June to September .

climate

There is a cold continental climate with strong monthly temperature and precipitation fluctuations . The maximum and minimum temperatures measured at Fort Liard are 34 ° C and -46.7 ° C, respectively. From June to August, the mean maximum and minimum temperatures at Tungsten , 35 km west of the park, are 17 ° C and 6 ° C; the absolute highs and lows for these months are 30 ° C and 0 ° C, respectively. The average monthly rainfall from June to August is between 60 and 90 mm, with severe thunderstorms occurring in July . With increasing altitude, temperatures drop and precipitation increases. Snowfall is possible at any time of the year.

Ecosystem

flora

Taiga at Tuchitua

The park contains plant species from two major ecosystems : the nearctic taiga and the nearctic alpine tundra , as well as the transitional phases in between. All levels of boreal forest occur, from burned areas to ancient spruce forests , and from humid plains to alpine tundra. Over 700 species of vascular plants and 325 species of moss have been identified in the park, which thus has the most diverse vegetation of all comparable areas in the Northwest Territories. This can be as hot and cold to the presence of highly specialized habitats mineral springs , waterfall -Nebelzonen, moist calcareous substrates and unvergletschertem attributed terrain.

The valley floors are dominated by the densely growing white spruce and poplar . At higher altitudes and on the northern slopes, the black spruce is more strongly represented, in the west the coastal pine . Near the Virginia Falls there is an area of ​​spruce- larch / lichen taiga with several species of orchids . The alpine tundra, which is characterized by sedges , lichens, grasses and shrubs, occurs in the higher mountain regions of the Tlogotsho, Headless and Funeral Ranges. The wild mint lamius , goldenrod , yellow juggler flower and the endemic Nahanni aster are among the many flowering plants that grow abundantly alongside mineral springs near the Flat River.

fauna

Swimming lynx in the Nahanni River

The wildlife is very diverse for the relatively high latitude of the park and is influenced by seasonal migrations or wintering . There are 42 species of mammals, including the Canadian beaver , gray wolf , brown bear , black bear , North American otter , wolverine , Canadian lynx , Canadian forest caribou , elk , white-tailed deer , mountain goat , dall sheep and a multitude on rodents .

A total of 180 species of birds from 29 families were observed, including the American peregrine falcon , the golden eagle and the bald eagle . A small population of Trumpeter Swans, a species very rare in Canada, nests on Lake Yohin. 16 species of fish are also known. Arctic grayling , dolly varden trout , American lake trout and bull trout are found in the tributaries of the Nahanni and Flat Rivers.

use

population

There are indications that the park area was already used in prehistoric times. When fur trading companies established their posts along the Mackenzie River in the 1820s, the Goat or Mountain Indians known as Kaska lived there . These were ousted by the Mountain Dene tribe of the Dehcho First Nations, a Slavey- speaking people.

Today about 100 Nahani Dene live in Nahanni Butte at the confluence of the Liard and South Nahanni rivers at the southern end of the park.

Fort Liard, the next large settlement outside the park, did not get a road link to the Alaska Highway until 1979 . In 1981 about 2000 people lived around the park. Fort Liard and Jean Marie are 90% indigenous Denes and Métis (mixed blood) communities. Fort Simpson (981 inhabitants) is almost equally divided into an indigenous and non-indigenous population. To the west of the park is the Tungsten settlement, which is owned by a private mining company and has a population of 380.

economy

The main economic activities include oil and gas exploration , mining, timber industry , air and road transport, and handicrafts .

tourism

The season is relatively short, around 89% of visitors come in July and August . On average, just over 1,000 people visit the park each year.

For visitors, there are hiking trails and overlooks and four campsites at Rabbitkettle Lake , Portage Landing , Virginia Falls, and Kraus Hotsprings . At the first two locations, park staff offer nature interpretations and guided hikes. Trips to the park must be registered with the Fort Simpson Visitors' Information Center . Are popular whitewater paddling with canoeing or kayaking , hiking along a riverbank and eintäge flight tours. As the park is difficult to reach, charter flights from nearby cities are the preferred and most convenient means of getting here. There are regular flights from Fort Simpson, Watson Lake or Fort Nelson to Rabbitkettle Lake and the Virginia Falls.

protection

Registration as world natural heritage

Nahanni National Park
UNESCO world heritage
National territory:	Canada
Type:	nature
Criteria :	(vii) (viii)
Surface:	476,560 ha
Reference No .:	24
UNESCO region :	Europe and North America
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	1978  ( session 2 )

The national park, designated in 1976, was entered on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978 as the first World Heritage Site in Canada based on a resolution of the second meeting of the World Heritage Committee . During the meeting, the Viking settlement of L'Anse aux Meadows was also included as the country's first World Heritage Site.

The world heritage site covers an area of ​​476,560 hectares.

The reason for the entry states, among other things:

The Nahanni National Park World Heritage Site, located in Canada's Northwest Territories, is a 470,000-acre, pristine natural area with deep river canyons that cut through mountain ranges, huge waterfalls, and complex cave systems. The geomorphology of the park impresses with its wealth of form and diversity of evolution. ... Inside the park are examples of almost every known category of river or stream, along with one of the most impressive waterfalls in North America, the Virginia Falls. The Flat River and South Nahanni River are older than the mountains they cut through, both of which have produced the finest examples of river canyons north of the 60th parallel.

The entry was made on the basis of criteria (vii) and (viii).

(vii): The South Nahanni River is one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America, with deep gorges, huge waterfalls and spectacular karst areas, cave systems and hot springs. Revelations of geological and geomorphological forms show the meanders of ancient rivers, which lie high above today's river level.

(viii): In Nahanni National Park there is an exceptional representation of the ongoing geological processes, in particular fluvial erosion, tectonic uplift, folding and canyon formation, wind erosion, karst and pseudokarst forms, and a variety of hot springs. The main geological and geomorphological forms offer a combination of geological processes that are unique in the world.

Parking management

The Nahanni National Park Reserve is Parks Canada according to the Canadian National Parks Act of 2002 and the Parks Canada Agency Act administered by 1998. Furthermore, according to the MacKenzie Valley Resource Management Act of 1998.

Fort Simpson is home to the park's administrative center and Nahanni Butte has a year-round visitor center . A management plan was first drawn up in 1987 and renewed in 2004. In 2003, Parks Canada and the Dehcho First Nations entered into a preliminary park management agreement.

The park was divided into three zones:

• Zone I, special protection: no motorized or mechanical systems are allowed in this area, except for locals. Seven areas, including several hot springs, the Deadmen Valley Sheep Licks, and the Sand Blowouts , are in this zone.
• Zone II, Wilderness: serves to protect the wilderness and includes the entire corridors of the South Nahanni and Flat Rivers with the exception of the immediate area of ​​the Virginia Falls and Rabbitkettle Lake.
• Zone III, Wilderness Recreation: intended for areas classified as natural spaces that can withstand selected low-density outdoor activities, including Rabbitkettle Lake and Virginia Falls.

The zoning concept takes into account the harvesting of natural resources by locals and other traditional activities such as hunting , fishing and trapping .

A monitoring program has been set up for around 20 subject areas , including a. for water quality , forest fires , bears , dall sheep, breeding birds and park visitors.

Danger

Tungsten mining town

Because of its wealth in raw minerals , the region is of interest for mining, oil and gas exploration . There are several old mines within the watershed and exploration is ongoing . The Federal Ministry of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada , which is responsible, among other things, for the economic and industrial development of the northern territories, is trying to promote this development here as well and began granting prospecting permits within the area a few years ago . The Mackenzie River Environmental Impact Review Board has already granted licenses for over 400 km of oil and gas pipelines in the area. In the event of floods or earthquakes to which the region is prone, mining in the catchment area of ​​the park would most certainly pollute its waters with chemicals , fuels and sewage , which in particular has a negative impact on the populations of caribou, dall sheep and fish would.

The Canadian Zinc Corporation since 1983 has a disused zinc, lead, silver and copper mining area with fully equipped infrastructure at Prairie Creek and a 15 km upstream situated Slot Canyon creek, she wants to expand now and have been issued for the 2005 approvals . To reach the area, an improved 165 km, year-round drivable road through the exceptional karst landscape north of the park is planned, but no environmental impact assessment has been carried out as required by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board . Transport roads and mining can destroy the integrity of the site and poison the groundwater with contamination from arsenic , antimony and the mercury, which is often found in ores . 40 tons of cyanide are stored on site and the poisonous tailings pond is located in a valley that is exposed to flash floods and earthquakes. The sulfuric acid-containing wastewater would travel long distances both over land and under the surface.

The planned reopening of a tungsten mine (near Tungsten) located 45 km upstream on the Flat River and closed in 2003 could also pollute the rivers. Park staff are working with Greater Nahanni Ecosystem stakeholders like the Dehcho and Sahtu First Nations to avert these potential threats. In 2003 an agreement was signed to exclude most of the South Nahanni basin from mining exploration for five years. The upper 20% of the catchment area was proposed by the Sahtu for designation as a protected area.

literature

• Ford Clifford: The Many Landscapes of South Nahanni National Park. In: Olav Slaymaker: Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada , 2017, doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-319-44595-3_15 , pp. 205–225.

Web links

Commons : Nahanni National Park Reserve  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Nahanni National Park Reserve , on Parks Canada , (English, French), with a detailed list of literature, also on the rest of the Northwest Territory, including experience reports
• Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
• Nahanni National Park Reserve ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Nahanni National Park Reserve (English)
2. ^ ^{A b c} Ford Clifford: The Many Landscapes of South Nahanni National Park. In: Olav Slaymaker: Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada , 2017, doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-319-44595-3_15 , pp. 205-206.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v} Nahanni National Park Canada. (PDF; 130 kB) UNEP-WCMC , May 2011, accessed on April 9, 2019 (English). 
4. ↑ Decision - 2 COM VIII.38. UNESCO World Heritage Center, 1978, accessed April 3, 2019 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Entry on the website of the UNESCO World Heritage Center ( English and French ).
6. ↑ D. Ford: Re: A Very Serious Mining Threat to the Integrity of Nahanni National Park Reserve, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada. Open letter to Kishore Rao, Vice Director of the World Heritage Center in Paris. McMaster University, Hamilton (Ontario) 2005.