Yukon-Northwest Territories Bilateral Water Management Agreement engagement

The Government of Yukon works with the Government of Northwest Territories to manage shared waters. We are updating our bilateral water management agreement for the Peel and Mackenzie Delta watersheds. We are also establishing a new bilateral water management agreement for the Liard River watershed. The goal of these agreements is to modernize standards for transboundary water management and better protect aquatic ecosystem health in the Mackenzie River basin.

The bilateral water management agreements also align with the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan. They maintain the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems, encourage management of water resources in a sustainable manner, and prevent degradation of water in the territory.

These agreements support the Government of Yukon’s collaborative work with First Nations and other jurisdictions to improve environmental management and better manage the ecological needs of watersheds. We are simultaneously conducting targeted consultation with First Nations, who are essential to the development and implementation of bilateral water management agreements.

This is an opportunity for the general public to review these agreements and provide any input, they should have. It is important to note that these agreements are quite technical in nature.