NWT Water Monitoring Bulletin – May 07, 2022

News Type: 
Water monitoring bulletin

The Government of the Northwest Territories maintains water monitoring stations across the territory to keep track of water levels and flow rates in areas of potential flood risk for communities.

This information is provided regularly to territorial and regional emergency managers to help understand the status of waterways across the NWT in the lead-up to, and during spring break-up – the highest-risk period for floods in the Northwest Territories.

This is the latest summary and technical data.

 

Technical data

Northwest Territories

Current status

  • Hay River issued an evacuation order for Vale Island, including the West Channel area;
  • The potential for further flooding remains high as most of the river ice has yet to pass through the Town of Hay River. There is a significant amount of additional precipitation forecast to fall in the Hay River region;
    • Environment and Climate Change Canada have issued a rainfall warning;
    • It is rare for a precipitation event of this magnitude to coincide with break up;
  • There was bank to bank ice running on the Liard River at Fort Liard this morning but as of 12:00, appeared to be stationary;
    • The Petitot River at Fort Liard broke yesterday afternoon;
  • Small amounts of ice are running on the Dehcho (Mackenzie River) below Strong Point, but a jam has prevented this ice from reaching Fort Simpson;
  • Neither the Dehcho (Mackenzie River) nor the Liard River have broken at Fort Simpson as of May 07 at 12:00;
    • Cool temperatures are forecast over the Dehcho region until Wednesday.

Hay River

Current status

  • The Town of Hay River issued an evacuation notice for Vale Island this morning at 02:00;
  • A flash flood alert was issued for K'atl'odeeche First Nation and Hay River at 23:00 on May 06;
  • A significant low-pressure system continues to sit over the Hay River basin. Precipitation will likely be a mix of rain and snow this morning, transitioning to rain this afternoon and back to snow this evening;
    • A rainfall warning is currently in place for the Hay River region by Environment and Climate Change Canada;
  • An ENR precipitation gauge near the town of Hay River recorded 27 mm of rain between 00:00 and 10:00 on May 07;
  • Models are predicting an additional 50-70 mm of precipitation in the Hay River region through to Monday morning;
  • Ice continues to run, jam, and release along sections of the Hay River. Ice jams upstream of gauge locations can result in temporary reductions of water levels;
  • The water level response on the Hay River and its tributaries to precipitation is very rapid at this time of year due to low storage and frozen ground;
  • Refer to the Town of Hay River website for the most up-to-date information, as well as webcam images of current conditions.

Above – Hay River near the Town of Hay River hydrometric gauge photo on May 07 at 11:00. Photo courtesy of Water Survey of Canada and GNWT.

Liard river

Current status

  • There was bank to bank ice running on the Liard River at Fort Liard this morning, but as of 12:00, appeared to be stationary;
    • Ice on the Petitot River broke yesterday (May 06) around 13:00;
  • Ice on the Liard River at Fort Simpson is still solid this morning (May 07) as of 12:00;
  • Water levels are climbing on the Liard River at the NWT hydrometric gauges, but the increases remain typical for break up.

Liard RIver at FOrt Liard_May 7 2022
Above – Liard River at Fort Liard hydrometric gauge photo from May 07 at 11:00. Photo courtesy of Water Survey of Canada and GNWT. As of 12:00, the ice is stationary on the Liard River at Fort Liard.

Slave River/Great Slave Lake/Dehcho (Mackenzie River)

Current status

  • Break up is progressing along the Peace River and has started on the Slave River;
    • There have been reports of an ice jam on the Slave River at km 10 as of May 06;
  • Ice has started to move on the Dehcho (Mackenzie River) at Fort Providence, and around Strong Point (between Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson);
    • The running ice from Strong Point has jammed upstream of the confluence with the Liard River;
    • There appears to be solid ice upstream of Strong Point which has resulted in a water level drop at the gauge site as the ice from Strong Point pushed downstream;
  • Ice on the Dehcho and Liard rivers near Fort Simpson is still stationary as of May 07 at 12:00;
  • Break up has been initiated on the Liard River at Fort Liard;
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada has forecast below seasonal temperatures for the weekend in the Dehcho region.

Above – Dehcho (Mackenzie River) at Strong Point hydrometric gauge photo from May 07 at 11:00. Photo courtesy of Water Survey of Canada and GNWT.