Remote Sensing of Colville River Navigability to Aid Subsistence Travel, Nuiqsut AK

The Arctic is experiencing rapid socio-economic and ecological changes, many of which relate to climate change. Climate impacts are particularly relevant to Northern communities who live in mixed cash-subsistence economies and have a heavy reliance on subsistence food sources. Subsistence harvesters within the Arctic region have expressed concern that changes in the environment are influencing their ability to move across landscapes and access traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering areas.

Recently, residents of Nuiqsut have noticed accelerated changes in the Colville river environment. Residents report bank erosion both in the village, which threatens infrastructure, and throughout the river system. Also, reported are shallow water conditions and drying tributaries that interfere with travel, damage boat engines, create hazards, and raise concerns about fish migration.
This research will use remote sensing techniques to study erosional and depositional patterns on the Colville River as well as map river bathymetry to identify areas of dangerous shallow water. The main goal of this research is to remotely produce GIS map products showing potential shallow water sections, sites of accelerated erosion, and poor channel connections, to aid river navigation. This work will be beneficial to Nuiqsut community members as well as other scientist who can use our processes and techniques on other high latitude rivers.