South Nahanni River headwaters area, from the air.© Parks Canada / D. Tate, 2006The South Nahanni River watershed is an incredibly beautiful area of the Northwest Territories with great ecological and cultural importance.
The proposed national park reserve takes its name from the prominent peak of Mount Wilson or Nááts'ihch'oh, as it is called in the North Slavey language. This mountain has great spiritual and cultural importance to the Aboriginal peoples of the region.
The upper watershed is critical calving, summer and rutting habitat for the Upper Nahanni woodland caribou herd.© Property of Government of the Northwest TerritoriesThe South Nahanni River starts its journey at the Moose Ponds, in the shadow of Nááts'ihch'oh. The upper part of the watershed accounts for about 17% of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem and it is important as the source of the river. The area includes important habitat for grizzly bear, Dall's sheep, mountain goats, and two herds of woodland caribou.
Nááts'ihch'oh Working Group members visit O'Grady Lakes, an important landing and access point for the proposed national park reserve.© Parks Canada / C. Bucher, 2009This area has been used by Aboriginal peoples of the present day Northwest Territories and Yukon for thousands of years. The proposed park reserve, within the Sahtu Settlement Area, has particular spiritual and cultural importance for generations of Shuhtagot'ine (Mountain Dene) and Sahtu Métis.
Today the area is often a launching point for adventurous wilderness visitors paddling down the South Nahanni River. The spectacular landscapes of Nááts'ihch'oh provide opportunities for hiking, canoeing, and climbing to visitors from Canada and the world.
Evidence of mineral exploration near Howard’s Pass in the upper watershed speaks to the potential for future development of mineral resources.© Parks Canada / C. Mondor, 2002Despite an increase in development pressures, the area proposed for Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve remains a large and relatively intact wilderness area. There are currently a variety of land uses in and around the proposed national park reserve, including mining and big game hunting.
A float plane takes off from the Moose Ponds, South Nahanni River headwaters.© Parks Canada / C. Bucher, 2009As Parks Canada and the Sahtu Dene and Métis strive to protect the source waters of the South Nahanni River and ensure the ecological health of the greater ecosystem, we will need to work with other land managers and resource users in the area to meet conservation objectives while respecting other land uses in the region and existing third party interests (e.g., existing mineral claims and leases).
Area of Interest© Parks CanadaView larger version of the map in PDF format (2.86 MB)
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