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The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has completed work for the 2023 season to dredge an emergency navigable channel in the Hay River Harbour, a critical link in the territory’s transportation network.
The long-standing navigation channel in the Hay River Harbour has been affected by natural and on-going sedimentation, which in combination with extremely low water levels has challenged the movement of vessels in this area.
The intent of the project is to create a 30-metre-wide by 2.4-metre-deep emergency navigable channel to allow safe passage of marine vessels to and from the Hay River Harbour.
The dredging work began in early August but was paused due to the Hay River evacuation.
Dredging work officially resumed on September 18, 2023, and was completed on October 7, 2023, per the requirements outlined in the project’s regulatory authorizations.
Given that the GNWT had a small window to dredge into the fall of 2023, the focus of dredging activities was removing sediment from a priority area at the outfall of the Hay River into Great Slave Lake, referred to as ‘the Plug.’
The work completed this fall has opened a 30-metre-wide by 2.4-metre-deep channel through this area.
The GNWT will work with regulators and the contractor to complete the remainder of the emergency dredging scope of work in the summer of 2024.