The quantity and quality of water flowing within an undeveloped river, such as the Peel River and its tributaries, largely depends on the climate, relief, vegetation and geology of the surrounding watershed. Ignoring anthropogenic influences, the quantity and quality of water in the river reflects the cycle of the seasons, the rate of movement and volume of water that moves from the land into the river, and the amount and type of material, both particulate and dissolved, that the water transfers from the land of the watershed into the river. (En anglais seulement)