Alaska News

Yukon River ice jam causes minor flooding in Eagle

An ice jam on the Yukon River about 10 miles downriver from Eagle has caused minor flooding there, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service issued a flood advisory for Eagle that lasts until 10 a.m. Thursday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, residents reported water levels were continuing to slowly rise.

"The road between Eagle and Eagle Village is inundated and there is also water in the yards of homes along the lower riverbanks," the advisory says.

Water levels are expected to remain high, or continue to slowly rise, and fluctuate until the jam releases.

Upriver in Dawson City, the water is showing minor fluctuations, and a significant surge of water isn't expected to move downriver over the next few days, according to the weather agency.

NWS Fairbanks-based hydrologist Ed Plumb said the river ice went out early Tuesday morning, one day behind the earliest breakup on record in the town.

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Eagle Village, one of two Yukon River communities that sit beside the Canadian border, was severely damaged in 2009 by major flooding. The larger town of Eagle 3 miles away was impacted as well.

In 2013, Eagle experienced its second worst flood, Plumb said. And other Interior communities were hit with heavy flooding as the Yukon's waters rose rapidly.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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