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Water levels across the Northwest Territories remain “extremely low” according to the latest water monitoring bulletin from the territorial government.
Water levels on Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River are particularly low, a report distributed on Wednesday said, and Great Slave Lake has been at its lowest level ever recorded.
Low water levels have resulted from hot, dry conditions in northern Alberta, BC and the NWT over the past two summers. Prior to that, the territory was setting records for high water levels.
Snowfall across the territory last month was about average, Wednesday’s bulletin said, save for the Beaufort Delta, where more snow fell than usual.
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The report noted that water levels on rivers can fluctuate during freeze-up. For example, when ice first forms, levels temporarily drop. Levels then increase after an ice cover forms as there is more resistance, which decreases flow rates.
Water levels generally stabilize by mid-winter.
