Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 31/99) - Water levels across the NWT are low, which has everyone from the Coast Guard to Environment Canada watching the situation closely.

"Great Slave Lake water levels are below average, the Liard and Mackenzie River systems are also below average," says Environment Canada hydrologist Chris Spence.

"Great Slave Lake provides winter flow to the Mackenzie, which is why the river is low. The Liard Basin is being affected by low winter snow packs."

Spence said water levels on the Great Slave Lake are at 156.6 metres. Compared to normal levels, it's down about the width of a hand. That doesn't sound like much, but Spence says not to be deceived.

"The kicker is that it's such a huge lake. We're talking about an awful lot of water," Spence said.

He said the region has suffered from two years of low precipitation and each year levels are low, the next year is affected.

"We're watching it because we expect the spring run-off from snow packs in B.C. to be below average. All in all, there's not a lot of water in the system," Spence said.

Northern Transportation Co. Ltd. director of Western Arctic operations Rick Connors said his company has a lot at risk when river levels drop.

The barge service moves supplies throughout the Western and Eastern Arctic by ship. They monitor water levels along their routes and "hope for the best, but plan for the worst."

"We have more than a passive interest in operating responsibly," Connors said.

"The reason we monitor water levels so closely is to reduce the risk to the boats, the environment and our bottom line."

With a full load -- about 6,000 tonnes -- a barge sits two metres below the water surface. If the lowest point on the Mackenzie River will only allow a boat through that sits one metre under the water, the only option for Northern Transport is to lighten their loads.

"It's like a chain. We plan for the weakest link. This year, there's a concern with what we're physically seeing with the lake and river levels," Connors said.

"If we have to reduce our draft, that dictates how much tonnage we can move on each river tow. At some point, that means extra trips and more boats. Vessel time is what drives our costs up."

Coast Guard marine aid supervisor Tom Maher is warning boaters to beware. The Coast Guard attends to the buoys that measure water levels on the river systems.

"Boaters will have to keep an eye out. The big ships will definitely have to be more careful. Vessels will end up touching bottom more," Maher said.

"We rely on what our skippers who are out on the water tell us. There's a bit of water coming into the system right now, but who knows how long it will last? At this point, the forecast is for a low water year so it could be an interesting summer."