Anxiety rising as water levels drop in N.W.T.'s South Slave, Dehcho

As you approach the Deicho Bridge, which connects Fort Providence with the NWT highway system, you can see rocks and patches of sand sticking up out of the mighty Mackenzie River. That's the Merv Hardy Ferry back there. It was replaced by the Deicho Bridge in 2012. Residents here in Fort Providence questioned whether that ferry would even be able to cross the Mackenzie River. Nowadays, with water levels this low, the territorial government has noticed it too. They say flow rates on lakes and rivers across most of the NWT remain very low and in some cases are the lowest ever recorded for this time of year. This hydrologist says a lack of precipitation is to blame. Extreme low water levels are the result of extreme drought over the last two 2 1/2 years since about the summer of 2022. So there hasn't been very much water flowing into Great Slave Lake. The Mackenzie River drains Great Slave Lake. It moves water from Great Slave Lake through the Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean. And there's been more water coming out of Great Slave Lake than has been going in. In Fort Simpson, it's the same story. Bob Norwegian is a community elder. He says he's shocked by what he sees on the river. The water used to be about like 10 feet higher than normal. That's what we call low level. Right now it seems like it's almost 8 feet normal below no are no normal anyway. And there's boulders all over the place that most people are really concerned about traveling the water. Fort Simpson is accessed by the Liard ferry in summer months. Norwegians Norwegian says he's hopeful the territory will consider building a bridge into the community. To avoid any problems, the territorial government did a preliminary study of the potential for a bridge in 2021, but there's still nothing in the works. Everyone's worried. The manager of lands and resources for the Litaquay First Nation says there's problems other than transport associated with low water levels. As water levels go down, the concentration of dissolved solids goes up. He says this is particularly concerning if those solids happen to be pollutants. The First Nation is preparing a study to deal with that problem. We're working with fish biologists and other groups to gather that information to see what the health of the animals are and see what's kind of coming out from that kind of information to you. With anxiety steadily rising across the territory, the question remains, will levels ever return to normal? Ryan Conan says it won't be a permanent change. We will get more precipitation. Eventually. We will get wet periods. We will see the atmospheric and climate conditions that are conducive to bringing water back to the lake. But unfortunately, I can't tell you if that's going to be this summer or next summer or five summers from now. A long time for elders and residents who continue to watch the water vanish from the shores. Robert Holden, CBC News for Providence.

OTHER NEWS

16 minutes ago

Tottenham scouts in attendance for €30m attacking talent primed to star at Euro 2024

16 minutes ago

New signs warning of great white sharks in the works for some East Coast beaches

16 minutes ago

Arsenal To Hold Talks With Declan Rice Over Position

16 minutes ago

Exclusive poll: Black voters aren't thrilled with Biden but dislike Trump more

16 minutes ago

How I dress for five days of Royal Ascot

16 minutes ago

Arsenal news: Edu faces transfer delay as Gunners name fee for midfielder star

16 minutes ago

Princess Charlotte's touching act during carriage ride to stop rain ruining Trooping parade

16 minutes ago

Gareth Southgate sends England stars message that leaves no doubt over Euro 2024 plans

24 minutes ago

PepsiCo announces plans to triple size of its electric fleet: 'Good for the planet, good for our business'

24 minutes ago

Elon Musk vs BJP's Rajeev Chandrashekhar on whether EVMs can be hacked

24 minutes ago

Euro 2024: Kylian Mbappé and France aim to start with a win over on-form Austria

24 minutes ago

I'm a female breadwinner who retired my husband. I was worried I'd resent him, but I'm a better leader and wife because of it.

24 minutes ago

Ukraine opens its Euro 2024 campaign against Romania amid backdrop of war back home

24 minutes ago

Poland vs. Netherlands Euro 2024 time, live stream, TV channel, lineups to watch Group D match in Australia

24 minutes ago

I'm nearly 90, worth more than £200 million and still starting new businesses. Here's how I did it - and my eight tips for getting rich

27 minutes ago

Woman shot by police in public park after allegedly wielding knife

27 minutes ago

Pennsylvania waste management facility collects millions of dollars worth of tossed out coins

27 minutes ago

Jon Bon Jovi teams up with *NSYNC star to open Nashville honky-tonk

27 minutes ago

Charcoal company gives away 50K free barbecues to Americans in food-insecure communities

28 minutes ago

Brian Cox rails against Brexit and Nigel Farage on BBC politics programme

28 minutes ago

Hamburg police shoot man near Euro 2024 fan park ‘threatening officers with pickaxe’

28 minutes ago

Nations discuss children, nuclear safety at talks on peace in Ukraine taking place without Russia

28 minutes ago

Ludvig Aberg career earnings: How much money has golfer made on PGA Tour?

28 minutes ago

US Open live updates: Leaderboard, Sunday tee times for final round at Pinehurst

28 minutes ago

SpaceX's Inspiration4 astronauts got genetically younger in space: study

28 minutes ago

When Are Trump Supporters Complicit?

28 minutes ago

Coach and son's defibrillator plea after fundraising

28 minutes ago

St Helens' Agnatious Paasi opens up on injury battle and emotional playing return

28 minutes ago

Wanna be a good dad? A 'School for Men' teaches diapering, ponytail making

34 minutes ago

Revealed: How scores of patients taking antidepressants suffer such severe withdrawal symptoms they are hooked on them for life

34 minutes ago

'I know I'll get Alzheimer's... but when?' One woman's story of how a DNA test changed the course of her life for ever

34 minutes ago

I'm nearly 90, worth more than £200 million and still starting new businesses. Here's how I did it - and my eight tips for getting rich

34 minutes ago

DR ELLIE CANNON: What a strange taste in your mouth can tell you about your health

35 minutes ago

POLL: Which 2023 Lions rookie will have the biggest Year 2 leap?

35 minutes ago

"We knew we weren't playing too many minutes" - Scottie Pippen admitted he and Michael Jordan drank beers before exhibition games

35 minutes ago

Foreign Ministry follows up on death of 6 Jordanian pilgrims

35 minutes ago

Amazon Is Our Pitstop for Cute and Comfy Travel Outfits Going Into Summer — Shop 13 New Arrivals From $20

35 minutes ago

'My boyfriend is trying to stop me from going to the gym – it feels so unfair'

35 minutes ago

Are EastEnders stars Lacey Turner and Lillia Turner related?

35 minutes ago

UK's new £18,000,000 rollercoaster 'breaks down' leaving people stuck 236ft up