PHOTO of the Hay River dredging operations

Clearing the water channels to secure the reliable movement of people and goods that are needed in remote communities in the Canadian North is the focus of the ongoing Hay River Harbor project.

The harbor was last significantly dredged in 1997. Since then, the buildup of sediment in the harbor has created navigation hazards for marine vessels and now threatens this important marine supply-chain hub.

The harbor required restoration to maintain the viability of key marine operations for both government and industry.

According to Project Manager, Rebekka Lindskoog, “the current bathymetry and water elevation data suggest that insufficient depth will threaten the harbor operations.“

On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Infrastructure, Westmar Advisors retained Associated Environmental Consultants for the environmental and regulatory leadership for the emergency dredging program. The contractor for the dredging program is locally owned Rowes Construction.

In 2023, approximately 5,600 cubic meters of sediment was dredged and about 78,000 cubic meters remains to be removed in 2024.