Kakisa (May 12/06) - When it comes to water quality, Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation in Kakisa is taking a proactive approach.

The band is in the process of developing a water monitoring program in response to concerns about the possible effects of the developments in the Cameron Hills area by Paramount Resources and the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, Chief Lloyd Chicot said.

Chief Lloyd Chicot crouches beside some of the water near Kakisa that the Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation plans to watch as part of their water monitoring program. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

All the rivers that feed into Kakisa come from those areas, Chicot said.

Ten years of talks about doing baseline monitoring got at step closer to realization last week when a water sampling workshop was held in the community.

The two-day workshop was run by staff from Taiga Environmental Laboratories in Yellowknife.

"It really opened my eyes," Chicot, who took the training along with two other community members, said.

Chicot said he learned the importance of taking samples properly so they cannot be contaminated and called into question if they are used in court.

The band plans to start monitoring the water this summer before heavy development starts to happen. Chicot said they are currently putting together a work plan and getting a feel for what a monitoring program would involve. Sampling would continue during and after development, he said.

"When I first heard about it, I thought it was great," Raena Rowland said about Kakisa's plans.

Rowland, the training coordinator with Taiga taught the workshop. Rowland said she's impressed Kakisa is taking the steps to set up their own water sampling program without being directed to do so.

The workshop training included learning how to take good water samples that can be analyzed by a lab and how to read the results afterwards. The second day of the workshop was spent in the field taking samples and learning about quality control.

Kakisa is part of a pilot project for Taiga. This was the first time a session on water sampling was taught in a community, Rowland said.

The knowledge taught to the participants about water sampling will help back up their concerns for the land, Rowland said.

"I think it will be really beneficial for them if the Mackenzie Valley pipeline goes in," Rowland said.