SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Although snow levels are just slightly better than last year, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation is keeping an open mind about the melt that will determine whether its dependence on expensive back-up diesel continues.

"We're cautiously optimistic but we do know that there are a lot of factors that are going to determine what our water level is," said Pam Coulter, communications manager for the corporation.

As warm weather steadily moves in, Coulter said testing at the Snare site shows snow levels were at 106 per cent above average. To put this into context, she said that last year's read saw snow levels at 104 per cent, also just slightly above average.

What this could mean for the river that supplies hydroelectric power to the city depends largely on how the melt happens.

"A quick melt gives a good runoff," Coulter said.

"With a slow melt, the sun evaporates the snow."

Last year saw the latter, contributing to low water levels on the Snare River. This caused the increased reliance on backup diesel, at a cost of about $45,000 a day. Last year, the GNWT offered up $20 million to relieve the increased cost of power generation and to avoid the increased cost burdening customers.

The amount was proposed to cover generation up until the end of June, Coulter said. Another factor is the drought conditions from last year, which will see the dry ground absorbing a significant amount of the melt.

"Drought is the persistent memory of the land," said Kris Johnson, manager of fire science for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Although there is no crystal ball for predicting the fire season, Johnson said various sources are suggesting that this could be another year like last.

"We haven't seen a single indicator that says conditions are going to diminish compared to last year," said Johnson.

"Everything is shaping up to being a big fire season."

The department has been measuring snow levels and watching the melt to determine what is in store for the season.

Although the northern reaches of the territory saw higher-than-average snowfall levels, Johnson said this wasn't the case in the south, including areas around Great Slave Lake.

"We could get rain every three days all summer long and have virtually no fire season whatsoever," Johnson said. "But we're not expecting that."

Should the fire season present as it did last year, Coulter said this would also heavily affect water through the Snare system.

As well, rainfall plays a significant role.

Water levels are checked regularly at all of the corporation's dams, Coulter said, but it isn't until later in the summer that a true reading of the runoff can be taken.

"We won't start to see the runoff for another week or so and then it's just dribs and drabs," said Coulter.

"It's not the end of July and beginning of August until big water hits the dam system."

Runoff that affects the Snare system starts approximately 150 kilometres north of it, Coulter said, meaning it takes some time to reach the Snare system.

"We hope to start seeing levels change as the melt happens," said Coulter.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources could not be reached to comment on water level testing.

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