Design and Construction of a Coastal Erosion Mitigation Project in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories
Lukas U. Arenson, Heather Brooks, Cameron Ross, Fred Scott, Fiona Duckett, Charles Klengenberg
In the proceedings of: GeoManitoba 2025: 78th Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 9th Canadian Permafrost ConferenceSession: CPA Adaptation
ABSTRACT: Tuktoyaktuk, a hamlet in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada lies on a low-lying Arctic peninsula along the Beaufort Sea. It faces severe coastal erosion and flooding, prompting relocation of many coastal buildings. Tuktoyaktuk Island, which protects the harbour, is also eroding and may vanish by 2050 without intervention. To address these threats, a shoreline revetment was designed, factoring in sea level rise, longer ice-free seasons, stronger storm surges, and permafrost degradation. The structure, built to withstand 100-year return period wave and water levels, has a 30-year design life. To reduce community disruption and take advantage of frozen ground, construction is limited to winter months. Work began on the peninsula in winter 2023/24 and continued on the island in 2024/25.
Please include this code when submitting a data update: GEO2025_382
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Arenson, Lukas U., Brooks, Heather, Ross, Cameron, Scott, Fred, Duckett, Fiona, Klengenberg, Charles (2025) Design and Construction of a Coastal Erosion Mitigation Project in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories in GEO2025. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.
@inproceedings{Arenson_GEO2025_382,
author = {{Arenson, Lukas U.}, {Brooks, Heather}, {Ross, Cameron}, {Scott, Fred}, {Duckett, Fiona}, {Klengenberg, Charles}}
title = {Design and Construction of a Coastal Erosion Mitigation Project in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories }
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 78th Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 9th Canadian Permafrost Conference}
year = {2025}
organization = {The Canadian Geotechnical Society},
address = {Ottawa, Canada} }
title = {Design and Construction of a Coastal Erosion Mitigation Project in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories }
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 78th Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 9th Canadian Permafrost Conference}
year = {2025}
organization = {The Canadian Geotechnical Society},
address = {Ottawa, Canada} }