[11] The Tuya River's watershed covers 3,575 km2 (1,380 sq mi),[6] and its mean annual discharge is estimated at 36.9 m3/s (1,300 cu ft/s).

[6] A tuya is a geologic term for a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet.

The coal was first discovered in 1904, but the main exploration of its economic potential occurred in the late 1970s to 1990s by PetroCanada.

[34] The Tuya River drainage provides very high quality salmon spawning habitat, but fish passage is blocked by several barriers including an 11 m (36 ft) waterfall located about 3 km (1.9 mi) above the mouth of the Tuya and another significant barrier about 51 km (32 mi) upriver.

[35] In addition, a 2006 landslide created a barrier to fish passage near the mouth of the Tuya River.

Chinook salmon spawn in the lowermost portion of the river, below the blockage.