Some paddlers may have been surprised to see ice drifting down the Näkhų Chu/Ta Hîni (Takhini River) in late May, 2021, especially considering that the most popular paddling section of the river had been free of ice since early-May. In fact, the upstream portion of the Takhini River is usually ice-free all winter because of the heat released from Nakhų̄ Mǟn (Kusawa Lake; the…Continue Reading Late-May ice runs in the Takhini River

Most rivers in Canada carry some flow year-round, even during the heart of winter, even under a thick ice cover. You may not hear it, you may not see it, but the channel is alive. I personally like to say that the water does not like to freeze, it wants to keep flowing. Water, in…Continue Reading Winter flows and water level variations – an overview

Some people in Yukon may wonder, looking out the window, how river systems will handle such a significant amount of snow in the months to come. What is a flood? A flood is when water starts flowing out of a channel, on the floodplain. Most river channels are naturally formed by erosion and sediment transport….Continue Reading Spring floods: What 2021 weather conditions may bring to the Yukon

The Tr’ondëk (Klondike River) valley has been affected by several floods in recent years. This photograph, provided by the Government of Canada, shows a high-water event caused by an ice jam in April 2003. Several distinct hydrological processes generate floods along the Klondike River and their likelihood and intensity vary from one section of the…Continue Reading Flooding processes in cold regions – case of the Klondike River

Hydrological events of interest during spring 2020: Highlights of a wet 2020 summer: Into Winter 2020-2021:…Continue Reading Significant hydrological events of 2020 in Yukon

The ice cover formed in front of Dawson during the night of Halloween (Oct. 31st to Nov. 1st), which is a few days earlier than in previous years. The good news is that the ice cover now extends from bank to bank at the ferry crossing / ice bridge location. The initial river ice congestion…Continue Reading River ice formation on the Yukon River at Dawson in 2020