The headline from the Toronto Star on 8 July 2024: ‘Nobody has these stories’: Canada’s longest river at record low levels. The subhead tells a story that is happening around the world: “The Mackenzie River’s water levels are about two metres below average, said territorial hydrologist Ryan Connon. Only two years ago, rivers and rivers and lakes in the Mackenzie system were at all-time highs.”
The Mackenzie River flows from the Great Slave Lake to the Beaufort Sea. That’s 1,738 kilometers, or 1,080 miles. The watershed covers parts of five provinces and territories. This is a huge area. After all, Canada is comprised of 10 provinces and 3 territories.
Here’s the lede: “Canada’s longest river is at historically low levels, stranding communities that rely on it for essential goods and alarming First Nations along its banks who have never known the mighty Mackenzie to be so shallow.”
The entire country is experiencing similar issues. Great Bear and Great Slave Lakes are at or near all-time low levels. The same goes for tributaries of the Mackenzie River.
The Mackenzie River is central to life in the large area where it is found. The area it occupies is known as the Dehcho, which is Dene for Big River.
The declining water supply is causing social, economic, and environmental concerns. According to the land and resources manager for the Liidlii Kue First Nation, “[t]his has never been seen before. Looking out at the water from his office in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territory, he said “This has never been seen before. We’ve asked elders, ‘Does anybody have stories about water being this incredibly low?’ Nobody has these stories.” The article explains that normal season fluctuations are about 50 centimeters. Two meters below average is “quite significant.”
The story in the Toronto Star provides yet another example of exceptional variability in Earth Systems. The massive Mackenzie River is now two meters below average. Two years ago, rivers and lakes in the Mackenzie system were at all-time highs.
Much of this area lacks roads that are open throughout the year. Communities are supplied by river barges or airplanes. A village mayor about halfway along the river’s length pointed out that fundamental supplies were being disrupted: “Pretty well everything, even our fuel.” Living without fuel in Canada is a big deal, especially heading into the autumn and winter months…
View the full five minute video here.
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