NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: infrastructure planning, engineering, geotechnical survey, Mackenzie Gas Project, site reconnaissance

Project Description: The route and site reconnaissance activities will be used to: review the proposed location for a potential gas gathering system and potential pipeline route through the Inuvialuit Settlement Region; revisit or determine the optimal locations for infrastructure sites, roads, granular resource sites, water withdrawal sites, and potential revegetation test sites; visually inspect and confirm land forms and geotechnical features; and, identify land features that may be important to the location or construction of a potential gas gathering system. The research team will be based in Inuvik. During the reconnaissance flights, locations of important land features will be confirmed by Global Positioning System (GPS), and photographs or videos will be taken. Landing may occur at selected sites for more detailed observation, subject to avoidance of sensitive areas and consultation with the local assistants and RRCs. Landings will only occur at sites where clearings or low vegetation would permit safe landing of a helicopter. Landings will not be made at sites close to occupied camps (within 500 m), or areas where large wildlife or wildlife concentrations are visible. Each reconnaissance flight will involve three or four people, including a local assistant. It is estimated that each flight will require up to 30 hours of flying time over a period of three to five days (depending on the number of sites to be visited and weather). The number of flights to be taken is currently undetermined, but will not exceed 12 flights in total or four flights in any given month. The majority of flights will take place in the summer months. It is likely that the number of landings will be in the range of 15 to 30 during each flight. The maximum time on the ground at these landing sites is expected to not exceed 1 hour. The researchers will provide information from the various surveys to the communities in the form of a non-technical summary and regular reporting to the HTCs. When the final report is completed, a copy of the document will be provided to the communities. The study will be conducted along the proposed pipeline survey corridor within the ISR from late June to November, 2005.