Landslide inventory of the south-central Mackenzie River valley region, Northwest Territories

As part of the Northern Energy Development Mackenzie Valley Project, an inventory of terrain and geomorphic processes is currently being compiled for the Camsell Bend (NTS 95 J), Root River (NTS 95 K), Dahadinni River (NTS 95 N), and Wrigley (NTS 95-O) 1:250 000 NTS map sheets. The interaction between high relief, steep slopes, heavy precipitation, complex tectonic and glacial history, and the range of surficial deposits and bedrock along the Mackenzie River valley transportation corridor has resulted in a variety of landslide types. Earth materials most susceptible to failure are colluvial, glaciolacustrine, alluvial, and organic deposits containing discontinuous permafrost. Till and glaciofluvial outwash are the most stable earth materials. Channel migration has triggered numerous complex landslides along the Mackenzie River. Removal of stream-side vegetation and soil also leads to retrogressive-thaw flows and slides in ice-rich terrain.