Yukon Territory - North/Black/Liard River Canoe Trip, River Data

Remember that ice out and flood conditions can rearrange the river bed, move or add logs and log jams, and even cause river course changes as is indicated by the new mouth of the Black River. The info below is from the current set of topo maps, which were purchased in 1997, and printed by the Canadian government between 1970 and 1985. I have made notes as to any changes I saw, or on info that didn't seem to agree with the maps. Consider the river conditions as being as we saw and experienced them on our 1997 trip, they may be different when you go. See the link to the legal disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

Much of the numerical data below is separated and expanded onto specific, more detailed pages linked from the Lists of Data page a link also found in the Table of Contents on the North/Black home page.

North Lakes:
Elevation: "Upper" North Lake is 4,222 feet (1,287 meters).
Distance: To creek confluence is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and to "Lower" North Lake is 1.7 miles (2.7 km).
Elevation Drop: To "Lower" North Lake is 55 feet (17 meters).
Flow: Actual creek flow out of lake is unknown, but probably less than 150cfs (5 m³/s) when the rest of the river is at a reasonable level.
Tributaries Entering: One about this same size on the right a little over a mile down (1.9 km).
River Bed Width: Out of the lake is unknown, probably a boat length wide (5.2 m) or less (less than 2 boat lengths wide (10.5 m) just upstream of the outlet).
Gradient: Average is 33 fpm (6.2 m/km), steepest is first .6 mile (1 km) at 38 fpm (7.2 m/km).
Difficulty: Unknown, but probably not very hard if enough water (except maybe technical?)
Current Speed: Unknown.
Notes: Flow would be very small, probably not navigable until the confluence with a creek out of another, smaller lake to the SW is reached about a mile downstream (1.5 km), a half mile (800 m) before reaching "Lower" North Lake. Would be marginally runnable then. If this upper part is navigable, I hope the rest of the river isn't too high! I doubt any lengthy section is significantly steeper than others, but do not know for sure. There could be a bigger drop in there, but I doubt it.

"Other" North Lake:
Elevation: Unknown, at least 4,265 feet (1,300 meters), probably more like 4,298 feet (1,310 meters), and could be even higher, but I doubt it.
Distance: To confluence is 1.3 miles (2 km), to Lower North Lake 1.8 miles (2.9 km)
Elevation Drop: Unknown, but given my higher estimate above, total vertical drop to lower lake would be 131 feet (40 m), though it could be somewhat more or less).
Flow: Unknown, but probably less than 150cfs (5 m³/s).
Tributaries Entering: None before confluence with the creek from the other lake.
River Bed Width: Unknown, probably a boat length wide or less (5.2 m).
Gradient: Unknown to confluence, but overall to lower lake is 1.8 miles (2.9 km) at either 55 or 73 fpm (10.5 or 13.9 m/km).
Difficulty: Unknown, and probably unrunnable, anyway.
Current Speed: Unknown, probably pretty good above confluence.
Notes: Could fly into this other lake which is smaller and higher, than the above indicated "Upper" North Lake and provides more gradient down to the "main" North River. From the lake down to the confluence is 1.3 miles (2 km), and everything is the same after that. Most of the elevation loss is above the confluence. Again, individual significant drops are unknown, all would be above the confluence as it is steeper there. Planes may not be able to get into or out of this small lake.

Below North Lakes:
Elevation: "Lower" North Lake is 4,167 feet (1,270 meters).
Distance: 14.2 miles (22.8 km).
Elevation Drop: To Fire Lake is 600 feet (183 m).
Flow: Maybe 300 cfs (8.5 m³/s) flow out of North Lake.
Tributaries Entering: Several small ones, the flow may as much as double shortly before Fire Lake.
River Bed Width: Averages 2 boat lengths wide (35 ft, 10.5 m) or less (runnable channel is much less).
Gradient: Average is 42 fpm (8 m/km), but there are lengthy stretches to 70 and 75 fpm (13.3 and 14.3 m/km).
Difficulty: Slow to fast flatwater to continuous, steep class 3+. Very tight and technical.
Current Speed: 5-6+ mph (8-10 km/h) in rapids, slower in flatter stretches.
Notes: For this river section between lower North and Fire lake, I would consider our run pretty close to the lower limit of navigability for flow, and at the upper limit of navigability for gradient.

A few cfs less in river volume would be okay, but not much. If our run was 300 cfs (8.5 m³/s) out of North Lake, 250 cfs (7 m³/s) might be pushing the limit, 200 cfs (5.7 m³/s) would certainly require a lot of walking. I think a run would be possible for a crack tandem team up to maybe 500 cfs (14 m³/s). I wouldn't mind it being proven that higher runs are easier, of course. I doubt that "real time" gauge info is available (or even yesterday's flow), and the best runnable timing would be difficult to catch. We saw no single significant drops, but that could change from year to year during ice breakup.

Despite the high gradients, the surprising fact is that the slopes are so even, with no large drops, that we ran the whole stretch without scouting anything, except for walking much of "the sieve" because it was so shallow. We could see around all corners far enough to know any individual steep section was "okay." Spring ice out flooding can change areas like this very easily and often. If you cannot see the bottom of any individual drop, please scout. It wouldn't hurt to check my math up there for your own "peace of mind." -Grin!-

Below Fire Lake:
Elevation: Fire Lake is 3,566 feet (1,087 meters).
Distance: To Braids is 11.3 miles (18.2 km), all the way to Black Lake is 21 miles (33.8 km). miles.
Elevation Drop: To Black Lake is 617 feet (188 m).
Flow: about 1,000 cfs (28 m³/s) out of Black Lake, Waters Creek adds about 200? cfs (5.7? m³/s), the Black River doubles the river volume.
Tributaries Entering: Waters Creek under 10 miles down (15.9 km) on the left, Black River comes in on the right about 15 miles down (23.8 km).
River Bed Width: Averages two to three boat lengths wide (30-55 ft, 9-17 m) at the outlet, probably half again to double that after the Black comes in.
Gradient: 49 fpm (9.2 m/km) for 11 miles (18.2 km) to Braids, then 7-8 fpm (1.3 m/km) for 8.7 miles (14.1 km) to Black Lake.
Difficulty: Two portages, some heavy class 3, still technical.
Current Speed: In rapids section probably averages 5-6 mph or better (8-10 km/hr).
Notes: Our flow out of Fire Lake was about 1,000 cfs, but it could be run lower, maybe 500 cfs. It might be runnable higher than the 1,000 cfs, though the steeper sections could start to get very pushy, with very big waves and holes - only for very good paddling teams. The runnable season from Fire Lake down would be at least two weeks longer (maybe more?) than a run from North Lakes.

We portaged twice in this section. There is a short section of intense drops just below Fire Lake, and a waterfall below Waters Creek. There are lots of rapids with big waves above and below the waterfall. The bigger rapids start at about the 1,000 meter contour.

The big rapids section just below Fire Lake is not runnable for anyone who doesn't want to hike back up to the mining camp and call (and pay for) a flight back to their car. We didn't scout anything below that first portage until we stopped at the top of the island above the falls (see Trip Report). It is very steep immediately upstream of the falls -- the current is fast and powerful, so be careful in that area. We scouted everything below the falls by hiking the right bank canyon rim above. Some tight turns, big waves, and holes, but no more big drops.

There are lots of log jams in the upper part of the braids section, and the river is much narrower in those channels until the Black River comes in.

Careful, topos above Black Lake are metric, but in feet and miles below the lake, so don't let that confuse you. I've converted most relevant numbers to both measures and reflect the changes in contour lines mentioned as map reference points.

Below Black Lake:
Elevation: Black Lake is 2,950 feet (899 meters).
Distance: To the Liard River is 25.4 miles (40.9 km).
Elevation Drop: To the Liard River is 450 feet (137 m).
Flow: Out of Black Lake is about 2,500+ cfs (71 m³/s), doesn't pick up much.
Tributaries Entering: Nothing significant, several small streams.
River Bed Width: Averages 3 to 4 boat lengths wide (50-70 ft, 17-21 m).
Gradient: Average for the 25.4 miles 40.9 km) is 18 fpm (3.3 m/km).
Difficulty: Mostly class 2 but some maybe 2+ below the first indicated campsite.
Current Speed: Averages 5-6 mph (8-10 km/hr) pretty much the whole distance.
Notes: I doubt the run from Black Lake to the Upper Liard bridge is doable all summer or fall, but it should certainly be possible into the summer a bit. The Black River is getting big enough that there was some power to it at our water level. Not real steep, but has some big wave trains and holes to dodge, most are easily avoidable. Again, we didn't scout anything in this section. Current is quite fast the whole distance.

The overall gradient from Lower North Lake to the mouth of the Liard is 67.6 miles at 24.6 fpm (108.8 km at 4.65 m/km) including the lake paddling. If you subtract out the lakes it is 60.0 miles at 27.7 fpm (96.4 km at 5.24 m/km).

On the Liard:
Elevation: At the Black/Liard confluence is 2,500 feet (762 m).
Distance: From the confluence to Hasselberg Creek is 9.8 mi (15.8 km), to the Meister is 49 miles (79 km), to the Frances is 63 miles (101 km), and all the way to the takeout bridge is 93 miles (149 km).
Elevation Drop: 500 feet (152 m) to the Upper Liard Bridge where the elevation is 2,000 ft. (610 m.)
Flow: After confluence is 10-12kcfs.
Tributaries Entering: Many, some very large (see below).
River Bed Width: is 100-150 feet.
Gradient: Average is about 5 fpm (1 m/km).
Difficulty: No rapids, all flatwater, but good current.
Current Speed: 4 to 8 mph (6.5 to 13 km/hr).
Notes: After the Meister River confluence, flow is about 20kcfs (566 m³/s).
River width is 150-200 feet (46-60 m).

After the Frances River confluence, flow is about 40kcfs (1133 m³/s).
River width is 300-500 feet (90-150 m).

After the Rancheria River confluence, flow is about 45kcfs (1275 m³/s).

The Liard gradient averages about 7.5 fpm (1.4 m/km) from the Black to the Meister and 2.5 fpm (.5 m/km) below that. Slowest section is the ten miles (16 km) above the Frances River confluence.

Take out bridge elevation is 2,000 feet (610 m).

Season

I think we were pretty lucky as to water levels.

Water levels might change rapidly. Probably more so on the Liard than on the North or Black. I did not see huge flood marks on the North or Black. Ice out levels are pretty high, but there is no logging in the area (yet) to cause rapid run off, so levels will probably not fluctuate on this system real fast. The low water line (lichen on the rocks in the river) was considerably below our level, and my guess is that typical summer flows would be fairly steady. The Black River might be runnable into the summer for a bit, but the North River would almost certainly not be.

The system does not look like it gets a lot of annual rainfall. I am sure that long, hard rains will bring the water levels in the North and Black Rivers up some, but, for anyone capable of running the river, I really doubt that they will quickly get dangerous after the snows are mostly gone.

Because there is no gauge on the upper system (with accessible data, anyway), picking a definite average season will be difficult. Our 1997 trip was in a low snowfall year (70% of "normal"), but a late spring melt and higher than normal rainfall just before we got there skewed the statistics a bit. We flew in on 29 June. The river can be run higher and lower. The farther upstream you go to start your trip the tighter the window. Wider and wider windows (recommend later rather than sooner) should exist for a flight into Fire or Black Lake. You DO want to catch the river on the way down AFTER ice out, not on the way up (definitely not at peak).

Environment Canada now has a Web site with a realtime gauge for Upper Crossing on the Liard. The link to it is on the Gauge page. That page also has a link to some short directions on how to use it.

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