Lake Laberge, Yukon Territory
Published: August 21, 2008, 2:31 pm
Updated: August 21, 2008, 2:31 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Mark McGinley Physical Attributes
- Altitude: 628 m above sea level
- Surface Area: 201 sq km
- Mean depth: 54 m
- Maximum depth: 146 m
- Volume: 10.8 cu. km
- Drainage Basin: 31, 500 sq km (approximately 1300 sq km of the drainage basin is covered by large lakes).
General Description
Lake Laberge is a long, narrow riverine lake. The Yukon River flows through the lake, serving as both its inflow and outflow. The lake was formed by glacial activity during the last Ice Age and glacially derived sediments line the shores of the Yukon River. These deposits are easily eroded and carried into the lake. Lake Laberge is ultra-oligotrophic as a result of low nutrient levels and low light penetration. The Yukon's capital city, Whitehorse, is located upstream of the lake along the Yukon River. The Whitehorse economy is based around tourism and the lake offers fishing for lake trout as well as whitefish. Although the hydro-electric dam at Whitehorse has hindered salmon movement into the lake, the construction of fish ladders has largely compensated for this problem. The lake is otherwise only minimally impacted by human activity. Lake Laberge is best known for the poem written by Robert Service, entitled "The Cremation of Sam McGee".
"The Northern Lights have seen queer sights
But the queerest they ever did see
Was the night on the marge of Lake Labarge
I cremated Sam McGee"
Watershed
The drainage basin includes the continental side of the Coastal Mountains that range along the Canada-U.S. border and the Yukon intermontane plateau.
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Citation
Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Paul D. N. Hebert (Lead Author);Mark McGinley (Topic Editor) "Lake Laberge, Yukon Territory". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 21, 2008; Last revised Date August 21, 2008; Retrieved May 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Lake_Laberge,_Yukon_Territory>
The Authors
The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO) is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to improving the understanding of biodiversity at all scales, from the genetic to the macroecological. Based at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, BIO is host to more than 30 university faculty and their research groups representing a wide range of biological expertise. BIO also includes specialized support staff and unique research and outreach capabilities designed to foster both academi ... (Full Bio)
After receiving his Ph.D. in genetics at Cambridge University in 1972, Paul Hebert took up a Rutherford Fellowship at the University of Sydney. He returned to Canada in 1976, accepting a position at the University of Windsor where he was a professor in Biological Sciences and Director of the Great Lakes Institute. He moved to the University of Guelph in 1990 as Chair of the Department of Zoology. He has been a visiting professor at the Australian National University, the Czech Academy of Scienc ... (Full Bio)
Physical Attributes
- Altitude: 628 m above sea level
- Surface Area: 201 sq km
- Mean depth: 54 m
- Maximum depth: 146 m
- Volume: 10.8 cu. km
- Drainage Basin: 31, 500 sq km (approximately 1300 sq km of the drainage basin is covered by large lakes).
General Description
Lake Laberge is a long, narrow riverine lake. The Yukon River flows through the lake, serving as both its inflow and outflow. The lake was formed by glacial activity during the last Ice Age and glacially derived sediments line the shores of the Yukon River. These deposits are easily eroded and carried into the lake. Lake Laberge is ultra-oligotrophic as a result of low nutrient levels and low light penetration. The Yukon's capital city, Whitehorse, is located upstream of the lake along the Yukon River. The Whitehorse economy is based around tourism and the lake offers fishing for lake trout as well as whitefish. Although the hydro-electric dam at Whitehorse has hindered salmon movement into the lake, the construction of fish ladders has largely compensated for this problem. The lake is otherwise only minimally impacted by human activity. Lake Laberge is best known for the poem written by Robert Service, entitled "The Cremation of Sam McGee".
"The Northern Lights have seen queer sights
But the queerest they ever did see
Was the night on the marge of Lake Labarge
I cremated Sam McGee"
Watershed
The drainage basin includes the continental side of the Coastal Mountains that range along the Canada-U.S. border and the Yukon intermontane plateau.
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(Source: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario)
(Source: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario)
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