Sean Whelly the mayor of Fort Simpson is worried that low water levels could impact the ferry’s ability to operate, potentially leaving the community isolated in the summer months.The water levels are the lowest he's ever seen at this time of year.

Local fisherman Darren Porter saw this coming. "It's just common sense. I mean, you can’t take your fishbowl and put it on your stove.”

Residents in Yukon's Southern Lakes region are bracing for the worst as water levels continue to creep dangerously high.

The river, which starts at the Saskatchewan Glacier in the Columbia Icefields and flows through to central Saskatchewan, is usually murky brown by the time it reaches Edmonton in summer. In recent weeks, however, the water has taken on the hues of Alberta's glacial lakes, thanks to dry, hot weather combined with maintenance at a major dam.

Water levels at the chokepoint of Kaub, near Frankfurt, fell to 32 cm (13 inches) in depth on Monday, down from 42 cm (17 inches) last week. Ships, however, need around 1.5 m (5 feet) to be able to sail fully loaded.

On the Yukon River, subsistence salmon fishing is being closed to protect king salmon as they migrate upriver.

Since the initial June to July heatwave shocked the Pacific Northwest, Heim says the Tsolum River Restoration Society has observed significantly fewer fish in the river, especially in its lower portions. Many of the remaining coho, which survived the heat wave, are suffering from diseases and fin rot as a result of heat stress.

In the village of about 400, outgoing winter ice dams triggered flooding tha shut down the low-lying runway for 11 days.