A section of the Klondike River has been moved from a flood watch to a flood advisory due to seasonal ice jams, meaning people living in the area should be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
Dredge Pond have moved down the river and are now stuck against ice at the Klondike Highway Bridge, causing water levels to rise and flooding low-lying properties upstream”,”text”:”Imlocks that had formed in the Dredge Pond area have moved downriver and are now stuck in ice at the Klondike Highway bridge, raising water levels and flooding low-lying properties upstream “}}”>The ice jams that had formed in the area of Dredge Pond have moved down the river and are now stuck against ice at the Klondike Highway bridge, causing water levels to rise and flood low-lying properties upstream
indicates the Yukon government in its Flood Atlas.
According to Dawson Fire Chief Mike Masserey, high water caused the flooding of a property on Sunday. Even if the waters recede slowly, that does not mean that residents in the area are no longer at risk, he warns.
The ice is still frozen near the Ogilvie Bridge. As long as it stays like this and there is no more ice accumulating, the water has made its way and is slowly coming back down.
explains Mike Masserey.
According to Benoit Turcotte, hydrologist and senior research professional at Yukon University in the climate change research group, residents of the region are still in a better position than last year.
This year is a better year, but it is very, very rare that the Klondike does not produce major ice jams. At the moment, we have a flow that is perhaps a third or a fifth of what there was last year, and despite everything, the river still manages to cause a little worry
he said.
He explains that at present, between two and five ice jams can be considered worrying, including the ice jam near the bridge, at the entrance to Dawson, and the ice jam located between the communities of Rock Creek And Henderson Corner. The government has also issued a high water level advisory for this sector.
The problem with the Klondike is that we know that the river is not going to get rid of its ice in a nice sequence from downstream to upstream without flooding anyone. There are always places where the ice flows much less well than others and, somewhere, it is necessary to give space to the river so that it can put its ice somewhere
he said.
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John, from Yukon Energy, and Kyla, from the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE) Dawson, pose with the clock for the traditional competition to estimate when the river ice breaks.
Photo: Aaron Woroniuk
On Sunday, at 4:50 p.m., Dawsonites were able to celebrate the breaking of the ice on the Yukon River, in front of the community. A long-standing tradition, but which, according to the hydrologist, should not have an impact on the flow of the Klondike River, a tributary of the river.
In general, what happens in the Yukon River in Dawson does not really impact the dynamics of the breakup in the Klondike, because the Klondike is a river that is quite steep.
he emphasizes.
With information from Chris McIntyre
