GNWT switching from Hay River to Tuk for some barge shipments

The NWT government will send some barges from Tuktoyaktuk rather than Hay River this summer, a move the GNWT said was necessary to avoid “extremely low water levels” on the Mackenzie River.

In particularly, the territory said the move would avoid expected low water at the Ramparts rapids south of Fort Good Hope.

“All cargo destined for communities north of Norman Wells must now be directed to the Tuktoyaktuk terminal instead of Hay River. This includes the communities of Fort Good Hope, Aklavik, Kugluktuk, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok,” the GNWT stated on Thursday afternoon.

The move, which requires a significant and potentially costly shift in the routing of some cargo, comes as much of the territory grapples with drought conditions.

Water levels for this time of year are their lowest on record – by a distance – on Great Slave Lake and in parts of the South Slave.

Some barges had already struggled with low water last year. The season’s final barges to Norman Wells and Tulita were cancelled for that reason, while a tugboat became stranded in low water outside Fort Providence for several days.

“Effective May 9, 2024, customers shipping cargo that has a final destination of Tuktoyaktuk or Inuvik are asked to make their own arrangements this year. MTS is no longer accepting cargo at the Hay River terminal for those communities,” the GNWT stated, using an abbreviation for its Marine Transportation Services division.

“Only cargo that is already at the Hay River terminal or that is currently in transit on its way there will be handled by MTS and sent to the Tuktoyaktuk terminal on the customers’ behalf.”

Tuktoyaktuk’s terminal will open on July 2, which the GNWT said is three weeks earlier than usual, and will accept cargo until August 1.

“Customers are encouraged to get their cargo to Tuktoyaktuk in advance of the August 1 cut-off to have it loaded on the barges to their communities,” the GNWT stated.

Jet fuel and diesel already come from the United States to Tuktoyaktuk around the BC and Alaska coast, and those shipments are not affected.

“With record low water levels in the NWT, MTS is monitoring the situation and its potential impacts for Tulita, Norman Wells and Łútsël K’é and will provide updates as they become available,” the territorial government’s statement concluded.