Hay River and Fort Simpson hoping for the best as spring breakup looms
Communities preparing for floods, just in case, but lower water levels are a good sign
Lower water levels on the Mackenzie River and an average amount of snow in the Hay River area have officials in Hay River and Fort Simpson feeling optimistic about spring breakup.
They're still getting ready for flooding, just in case, said Hay River senior administrative officer Glenn Smith — and they want community members to be prepared, especially on the heels of last year's disastrous flood that swept through Hay River and Enterprise.
Things are melting earlier than they did last year, and Smith said the community may see some of the ice start to break up locally over the next week with warmer-than-normal temperatures.
"[There's] potential for some early breakup activity, we would say at this point — but again, difficult to predict with certainty," he said. "Do we expect a flood? Well, we're not too sure, but we prepare for the worst."
Beatrice Lepine, an elder who was born and raised in Hay River, said water levels were low last fall on the Hay River. She said she's feeling more confident this year that breakup will go well.
"Just looking at the river here, compared to last year it looks very different," she said.
"We take precautions and you do have to be ready to go when they call an evacuation — I'm just praying that it's a normal breakup where you get some minor flooding."
In Fort Simpson, which saw major flooding in 2021, fire chief Tyler Pilling said the Mackenzie River is at normal water levels. That's a good sign, after the past few years of high water levels, he said.
There's still the danger of ice jams, one of the major factors that can cause surging water levels, but right now, the river would need to rise by more than 10 metres before the village would need to call an evacuation.
Pilling said one of the major things the village has been working on is its communication in the event of possible emergencies.
"It was identified as a big part of what we can do, just making people aware of the situation [and] of what they can do to prepare," he said.
With files from Hilary Bird