The Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory is located on the south-central coast of Melville Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian High Arctic (74º55′ N, 109º35′ W). The Island is uninhabited, except for the summer months (May-August), when our research group is in camp.
The observatory is serviced by charter Twin Otter and helicopter aircraft from Resolute, Nunavut with the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP, Natural Resources Canada). The lakes are suitable for ski landings until early June and a summer airstrip is located at camp on the north end of the West Lake. Flying time to Resolute is approximately 1.75 hours for a Twin Otter and approximately 3.5 hours with a helicopter.
To minimize the impact on the landscape, most travel is on foot. During the late winter, snow machines are used to move heavy equipment. All-terrain vehicles are used sparingly to move between the lakes.
Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory 