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8TuesdayJuly162012ByRENEFRANCOEURAdistinguishedAmericangeologyprofessorisscour-ingthewatersaroundFortResolutionthisweekforeldresearchandplanstomakeapresentationonallthingsdamrelatedtothepublicinFortSmithonThursdayevening.Hydrodamshavebeenahot-buttontopicforyearsinthetownbesidetheAlbertaborderwithtalkbyenergycompaniesTransCanadaandATCOresurfacingaboutGeologyprofessortotalkaboutdownsideofdamsPoliticsMunicipalEnvironmentWatershedsByJACKDANYLCHUKGivenachoicebetweensaving48000andcuttingbrowsingtimeinwinteratYkeaatermofendear-mentfortheYellowknifedump-citycouncillorstookapass.RunningthecitysstoriedwastefacilityisnotaboutmakingmoneycouncillorBobBrookssaidafterhear-ingapresentationtothemu-nicipalservicescommitteeonMondaylastweek.Itsaboutservicetothepublic.ThesalvageareaofYel-lowknifesdumpiswheredepartingpeoplecastoffbe-longingssomeofthemorig-inallyscroungedthereandnewcomersndwhattheyneedtonestintheterritorysmosttransientcommunity.Areviewofoperatinghoursin2012suggestedclosingthedumponSun-daysfromSeptembertoMayandonstatutoryholidaysinwintercouldsavethecity48000butpasteffortstoreducepublicaccesshavedrawnvigorousprotests.PeterHouwelingassistantsuperintendentofthefacil-ityalsosuggestedopeningthedumpahalf-hourearlierinwintertosynchronizescheduleswithKavanaughBrothersthecompanythatcollectsrefuseandmakethemostefficientuseofmanpower.NowinterofdiscontentatYellowknifesYkeaTheSundayclosurewasrec-ommendedbecauseitisalowrevenue-generatingdayinwin-teranditseliminationwouldreducestafngandovertimecostsHouwelingsaid.Hepresentedachartthatclearlyshowsthatthetypi-calSundayendsinalossbecausecommercialusersthefacilitysmainrevenuesourcearemorelikelytodropoffloadsduringtheweekoronSaturdays.AccordingtothechartandfacilityrecordsSat-urdaysareprofitabletothetuneofabout35000-exceptinDecemberandJanuary-whileSundaysareprofitableonlyinNo-vemberandlastyearranguplossesofmorethan20000.EliminatingaccessonSundayinwinteristheeasiestwaytoshaveex-penseshesaidandifoperationalcostsarecutwehaveabetterchanceofmaintainingourcurrenttippingfees.ButtheweekendiswhenYellowknifessalvagerssearchfortreasureintheirneighbourscast-offsBrookssaidandothercouncillorsagreed.WearegovernmentheretoprovideserviceDanWongsaid.Weshouldnottrytobehavelikeabusiness.PhotoJackDanylchukdammingtheSlaveRiverforindustrialdevelopmentwhichwouldwipeoutthreesetsofrapids.EllenWohlwhohaswrit-tennumerousbooksonriversacrosstheglobesincecom-pletingherPhDin1989hasbeenspecicallyresearch-ingenvironmentalchangesonriverssince2001.HerpresentationTheDownsideofDamsnar-rowsinonwhatcanhappentoariveritsbanksandtheplantsandwildlifedown-streamaftertheimplemen-tationofadam.Iplantotalkaboutvari-ouscasestudiesIvedonesuchastheColoradoRiverandtheGrandCanyon.IllprobablymentiontheMis-sissippiaswellandtheObRiverinRussiaWohlanaward-winningprofessoratColoradoStateUniversitysaid.TheObhashadabadtimewithhumans.Itsbadlypollutedtheresahugedam-alothashappenedinthatcatchment.IdliketoshowthecontrastbetweentheObandtheMackenzieshow-ingeveryoneaworstcasescenario.Wohlstudied10differentriversincludingtheMack-enzieforher2010bookAWorldofRivers.ItookatripdowntheMackenziein2005fromHayRivertoInuvik...Itwasariverofinterestbecauseitslargelyarivernotasimpactedbyhumansascomparedtoothersshesaid.Itsalsouniquebecauseitsinanareathatpresentlyhasalotofpermafrostandtherespo-tentialforfairlysubstantialhydrologicalchangeastheclimatewarmsandsomeofthepermafrostmelts.WohlisjourneyingNorthonceagaintoworkalongsideoneofherstudentsNatalieKramerAndersonaPhDcandidatefromColoradoStateUniversityresearchingthemovementofdriftwooddownstreamthroughouttheMackenzieBasinandapro-fessionalkayaker.NataliewasmentioninghowsheandherhusbandgouptoFortSmitheveryyeartopaddleontheSlaveRiverrapidsandherworkdealswiththewooddynamicsontheMackenziesoitsanicemeetingpointofinterest.Imcominguptoworkwithherandcheckinwithherprog-ressandshesuggestedIgivethispresentationWohlsaid.ThereisonelargedamintheheadwatersoftheMack-enzieandtherearesomeotherdevelopmentsproposedintheareaandsoImhopingIcananswerquestionspeo-plemighthavemaybemakethemmoreawareofwhatweknowhaschangedinotherriverswhenlargedamshavebeenbuilt.Wohlsaidshesalsohappytobroadenthecommunitydiscussionbeyondhydro.IwantthepublictoknowIwillansweranytypeofquestionsabouthumanim-pactsontheenvironmenttheyhave-itdoesnthavetobelimitedtodams.WhenIwasresearchingtheMack-enzieIknowtherewasalotoffocusonthenaturalgaspipelinethatwasreplacedbackinthe70sandtheObitselfhadalothydrocarbondevelopmentandoilandgassoImopentotalkingaboutotherissues.ItsimportanttotalkabouttheeffectsofdevelopmentbecauseindustrylikeadamfundamentallychangesariverWohlsaid.Itchangesthephysicalcharacteristicstheorganismsthatareabletosurvivethereandthebiologicalcommuni-tiesandinevitablyitchangesthehumancommunities-fromhowtheyusethatriverforresourcessuchassheriesordrinkingwaterorrecreationtohowtheythinkofrivers.ForexampleshesaidintheStatestheissueofhydrohascausedanumberofdivisionsinimpactedcommunities.Theremovalofsmallerdamshasseenonegroupsay-ingYeswewantthedamsout.Wewantfreeowingriv-ersandshmigration.Andthentheresanothergroupofpeoplewhonotethedamshavebeeninplaceforoveracenturyandtheywantthatflatwaterrecreation.Theywanttobeabletoshandboatinareservoirshesaid.Soyoucanseehowdevelopmentchangesnotonlytheecosys-tembutalsoourperceptionsandexpectationsofriversaspeopleandIthinkweneedtobethinkingaboutthingslikethisupfrontbeforethechangeshappen.Wohlsaideverysituationisuniqueandthedegreeofimpactdependsonlocationwhattypeofdamisbuiltandhowthedistributionofwaterisaffectedovertime.Overallyouarestillsim-plifyingadiverseenviron-mentwhenitcomestobuild-ingadamshesaid.IfyoulookatriversacrossNorthAmericatheoneswithdamsareverysimilar.Theyvelosttheirnaturalflowandaremuchlessdiversewhenitcomestotheshcommunity.Themorediverseaneco-systemisthemoreresilientitisshenoted.WohlalsoplanstolookatsomeoftheislandsinGreatSlaveLakewithAndersonwhileintheNWT.Itswhereshethinksthewoodcomingintothelakecomestorestontheedgeoftheislandandhelpstotrapsedimentallowingtheislandtogrowovertime.Thatsan-otherareaofemphasisforherprojectsowellbedoingthattogetherIbelieveWohlsaid.NataliesalsomadethreatsthatshellgetmeoutontheraftintherapidsbutIdontknowaboutthat.YellowknifesdumpisalsoknownasYkeabecauseofitspopularsalvageareawheredepartingresidentsdropoffbelongings.