Permafrost thaw likely cause of Umiujaq’s dry reservoir, researcher says

Thawing permafrost could be to blame for a reservoir drying up in Umiujaq, say a researcher and public works director who are looking to find a new permanent water source for the Nunavik community of about 540 people.

“We have some [data] and we know the permafrost is degrading in this small watershed,” said Richard Fortier, a geologist from Laval University, last week.

Fortier is one of the researchers from the university hired by Kativik Regional Government to investigate circumstances that led to the village’s reservoir drying up in March 2024.

Permafrost is impermeable, Fortier said. As the layer of permafrost under the creek thaws, the layer gets thinner allowing more of the creek water to go deeper underground.

In normal conditions, the water naturally fills the local creek and pumps draw the water from the creek to feed the reservoir.

But with continued thawing of the permafrost, less water stays in the creek. That means the pipe system that feeds the reservoir has less to water to draw from.

If the creek’s water level gets too low, pumps can’t draw enough water for the reservoir.

Long term, that means “there will be less water in the future [from this source]. The best solution may be finding another source,” Fortier said.

A map shows water flows and possible sources for a new water system in Umiujaq. A permanent solution could take between five to seven years, says public works director Hossein Shafeghati. (Photo courtesy of Richard Fortier)

Hossein Shafeghati, public works director for KRG, said the reservoir can normally hold about two years’ worth of water, and it may have been slowly dissipating for more than a year.

Temporary equipment was brought in to refill the reservoir, but public works staff and researchers are looking for a permanent new water source using either groundwater or surface water.

While groundwater is naturally cleaner, it tends to be more costly to develop as a source compared to surface water, Shafeghati said.

Groundwater surveys are complete, while surveys for surface water are ongoing.

He said there are many factors to consider when selecting a new source. That includes existing wastewater locations and flow, distance from the community to the water source, and environmental safety concerns.

Also, there is the cost to build infrastructure. For example, a road may need to be constructed along the pipeline route.

Shafeghati said it’s too soon to speculate on what final costs might be. To install one kilometre of pipe it costs approximately $5 million. That doesn’t include building a road along with it — and the pipeline could end up being several kilometres long.

There are also regulatory hurdles and approvals. For example, after a location is found, Kativik Regional Government has to get approval from Quebec’s Environment Ministry, which will run its own assessments.

It could take years before a permanent solution is built and ready.

“So the whole process, I would say, five to seven years from now,” Shafeghati said.