Atlin is an anglicization of
Áa Tlein, the
Tlingit word for "big body of water". The area has been used by the
Taku River Tlingit for many years as attested to by artifacts discovered at nearly 40 excavated
archaeological sites in the area. The gold rush came to Atlin Lake country in 1898 and was one of the richest offshoots of the
Klondike Gold Rush. By the end of the mining season of 1899 about 5000 people flocked to the region, and the community of
Atlin was a busy and important town. Although creeks in the present-day park must have been prospected, none bore any gold. Although production was greatest in the early years, the Atlin field still produces today. Total
placer gold production has exceeded $23 million. In the early 1970s,
BC Hydro proposed development of a hydroelectric project which included the construction of a tunnel to divert water from Atlin Lake to the
Taku River. Fearing a potential disruption to the local environment, the provincial government opted to protect Atlin Lake and its surroundings by establishing a provincial park in the area in 1973. Environmental concern involving the park recently resurfaced in the reaction to a proposal by
Yukon Energy to construct a weir at Atlin Lake's outlet to stabilize its water level. Yukon Energy stated that the weir is needed to retain water during the winter months which in turn will permit the production of more hydroelectricity downstream during these months when the demand for electricity is highest. Environmentalists responded that the weir could inflict ecological damage and disrupt the migration route of
lake trout and other fish between Atlin and nearby lakes. Many local residents were opposed out of concern that raised lake levels could cause flooding and increase shoreline erosion. Atlin's extensive icefields have attracted recent interest from
glaciologists and other scientists. Their studies have helped to raise awareness of the park's conservation value. ==Conservation==