DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE - Community members in Fort Providence are concerned about the low water levels on the Mackenzie River. Resident Johnny Landry said the water is currently so low, people hunting and fishing on the river worry about the motors on their boats.

The Mackenzie River at Fort Simpson as seen on Oct. 2. Officials say water levels are 30 cm lower than last year. - Kassina Ryder/NNSL photo

"When you travel on the river, you have to watch or else you'll break your motor," he said.

Landry said while the water has been low before, it is unusual for the river to remain that way.

"It was low before, but it wasn't this low for this long," Landry said.

"It's been over a month now."

He said community members are especially concerned about the Merv Hardie ferry shutting down early. No ferry service means goods would have to be flown in to town.

"The prices of everything goes up," he said. "Everything costs almost double."

Transport officials say ferry service to Fort Providence could face interruptions due to low water levels, but the ferries are not expected to shut down early.

"Right now the water levels, although they're lower than last year, are still above the critical level," assistant director of marine services with the Department of Transportation Glenn May said.

"If it continued to drop lower, we may interrupt service for a few days just to maintain safe service, but we would not be shutting down early."

May said if the water level continues to drop, ferry operators would be instructed to reduce their weight loads in order to keep boats in operation.

"Our first option when we get to the critical level is we reduce loads on the vessel," he said. "We would not shut down service, but we would reduce the carrying capacity."

Murray Jones, senior technician with the Water Survey of Canada, said water levels in Great Slave Lake have been recorded since 1934. He said current water levels are some of the lowest on record.

"For July and August and September of this year, the water levels in Great Slave Lake have been very close to historical lows for that whole three month period," he said.

Water in the Mackenzie River, which is fed by Great Slave Lake, is 30 cm lower than it was this time last year.

"We're about .3 metres, or one foot, below the comparable 2009 levels," Jones said.

"It's low because the Great Slave Lake levels are low."

Lack of precipitation in Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan is the culprit, Jones said.

"The precipitation hasn't been very substantial for the last year, particularly, and overall in the last three years," he said. "So you've got low water conditions coming into the Slave [River] and then the Slave feeds the Great Slave Lake which, in turn, feeds the Mackenzie."

"The Slave River accounts for about 77 per cent of the water input into Great Slave Lake," he said.

"If it gets low enough, it will affect the ferry operations at the Mackenzie at Fort Providence for sure."

May said other factors could be contributing to the lower than usual water levels.

"We had an earlier start this year with the season, the ice didn't stay as long and there wasn't as much melt off or runoff coming down from the mountains, either," he said.

No matter what is causing the river to decrease, Landry hopes it rises before its time to catch fish this fall.

"When you set nets you really got to watch, and fish are going to run soon."

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