Dredging work will continue in the Hay River harbour this summer. 

Part of the Hay River harbour restoration project, dredging began last summer, and will run from June 3 to Sept. 14 this year. 

Dredging involves removing sediments and debris from the bottom of a body of water to keep the waterway navigable in the face of low water levels. Workers in Hay River will employ a method called mechanical dredging, using excavators on barges to withdraw approximately 80,000 cubic metres of sediment from the water and stockpile it on shore for re-use at a later date. Their work will focus on a 30-metre wide channel through the harbour, which will ultimately be deeper and safer for boats when the job is done. 

SA国际影视传媒淭丑别 Hay River harbour is used by MTS barges and tug vessels, Canadian Coast Guard vessels, the commercial fishing fleet, and recreational boats, among others, who require a minimum water depth to safely transit to and from Great Slave 尝补办别,SA国际影视传媒� a spokesperson for the 骋狈奥罢SA国际影视传媒檚 Department of Infrastructure said. SA国际影视传媒�Restoring a channel in the harbour is required to reinstate a safe water depth for navigation, which is vital as part of the essential community resupply originating from Hay 搁颈惫别谤.SA国际影视传媒� 

The work may cause slight changes to typical boat traffic, but recreational and small boats will be able to detour around the dredging areas. 

Peter Fox, who operates Brabant Lodge, does not believe the work will impact his 肠辞尘辫补苍测SA国际影视传媒檚 business, which includes fishing charters on the river. 

SA国际影视传媒泪 think the dredging out front of Hay River is great for the town and the larger NWT 肠辞尘尘耻苍颈迟测,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淟辞迟蝉 of communities rely on the barges and the river to get supplies through the summer, so having the Hay River harbour usable and functional seems like an obvious good choice. 

SA国际影视传媒淎诲诲颈迟颈辞苍补濒濒测, for my business we usually use the navigational buoys the coast guard places as safe channel markers and turn signals to denote our fishing spots. If the coast guard 肠补苍SA国际影视传媒檛 get out of Hay River, then they 肠补苍SA国际影视传媒檛 place the buoys near the lodge. The Hay River dredging project seems to me to be a great idea with no direct downside for my business 辫别谤蝉辞苍补濒濒测.SA国际影视传媒� 

Glenn Smith, the 迟辞飞苍SA国际影视传媒檚 senior administrative officer, shares 贵辞虫SA国际影视传媒檚 perspective. 

SA国际影视传媒淭丑别 Town of Hay River issued support over the last couple of years for the harbour restoration and dredging 辫谤辞箩别肠迟,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒泪t was good to see that they were able to start last year amidst the evacuations and challenges with the water situation. 

SA国际影视传媒淲别 understand 迟丑别谤别SA国际影视传媒檚 been some tweaks, and 迟丑别测SA国际影视传媒檙别 expecting to dredge quite a bit more material into a larger area of the river system this year, so 迟丑补迟SA国际影视传媒檚 good to see. Obviously the extremely low water looks to make it quite challenging this 测别补谤.SA国际影视传媒� 

Smith is hopeful there will be further dredging along the river system in the future SA国际影视传媒� as long as the proper precautions are taken. 

SA国际影视传媒淗辞辫别蹿耻濒濒测 they can use this as a method to evaluate success and to create a business case that can be then applied in the future for continuous dredging of the river 蝉测蝉迟别尘,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭丑别re might be some concerns on the efficiency of this technique, but you know, we trust that the experts consider all the environmental and technical implications, and hopefully they find the best 蝉辞濒耻迟颈辞苍.SA国际影视传媒�