Nahanni: The place
The South Nahanni Watershed and Nahanni karstlands cover 40,000 sq kms of spectacular Boreal wilderness in the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada's Northwest Territories. The South Nahanni River, running through the heart of this wilderness, stands among the world's greatest natural wonders as it plunges over Virginia Falls, a waterfall twice as high as Niagara, and carves a passage through the earth almost as deep as the Grand Canyon.
The Nahanni lies within the Boreal forest -- a global forest that wraps the northern hemisphere, and within the Yellowstone to Yukon region -- the mountain region stretching from Wyoming to the Yukon. Thus, protecting the South Nahanni Watershed and Nahanni karstlands contributes to CPAWS’ efforts to protect two globally important ecosystems.Conservation designations
The extraordinary natural and cultural values of the Nahanni region have been recognized through a suite of national and international conservation designations.
National Park Reserve:
In the late 1960s, hydroelectric development was proposed for Virginia Falls on the South Nahanni River. Wilderness lovers, led by CPAWS (then known as the National and Provincial Parks Association of Canada), cried foul and mounted a campaign to protect the Nahanni as a free-flowing wild northern river. Prime Minister Trudeau's 1970 visit to the river cemented the deal to create Nahanni National Park Reserve. In 1972, land was set aside for a national park, and in 1976, a 4766 sq km corridor along the South Nahanni and Flat Rivers were legally protected as a national park reserve.
World Heritage Site:
In 1978, Nahanni National Park Reserve became the first site in the world to be officially granted World Heritage status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), highlighting the global significance of the Nahanni's natural values.
Canadian Heritage River:
In 1987, the section of the South Nahanni River that flows through the national park was designated as a Canadian Heritage River in recognition of its outstanding wilderness character and recreational value.
