The Yukon River Basin Indigenous Observation Network (ION) is a community-based environmental monitoring program led by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other research institutions.
It combines Indigenous knowledge and long-term community observations with scientific monitoring to track environmental change across the Yukon River Basin. The network:
- Began in 2006 through partnerships with communities along the river.
- Monitors surface-water chemistry, including major ions, dissolved organic carbon, and oxygen and hydrogen isotopes.
- Measures permafrost and active-layer conditions, including thaw depth, soil temperature, and moisture.
- Has collected more than 1,600 water samples at 35 sites and active-layer measurements at about 20 sites.
- Helps investigate changes associated with permafrost thaw, groundwater pathways, carbon cycling, weathering, and Arctic hydrology.
- Trains local community technicians to collect and interpret environmental data.
The program’s continuation, ION 2.0, expanded monitoring to the Yukon and Kuskokwim watersheds, with greater emphasis on permafrost-depth measurements, community capacity building, and co-production of knowledge with Indigenous communities,
The YRITWC provides project information, field manuals, reports, sample-site resources, and links to data through its science and water-stewardship pages.
