Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities

We support communities to address environmental threats and achieve their vision for a safe, healthy, and sustainable future.

Newsletter Issue 46

All Eyes on the Ice: How RiverWatch Helps Communities Prepare for Flooding During Breakup

In late April and early May, Alaska’s rivers transition from ice roads to open water. Known as breakup, this time of year is welcomed for warmer weather and longer days but can create anxiety in riverine communities. As the snow melts, water levels rise and frozen rivers swell, causing the top layer of river ice to break and move. If the ice gets stuck while traveling downstream, it can create what is known as an ice jam. Ice jams act as a dam. The blockage can cause widespread flooding upstream by pushing water and ice over riverbanks and into communities. Ice jams also cause flooding downstream. When the ice jam breaks, all of the water and ice that is being held rushes downstream. 

"Everyone in our community walks on pins and needles during breakup time." 

-Arlene Porter, Mayor of Fort Yukon, Alaska

In 2020, an ice jam formed on the Kuskokwim River below Napaimute, Alaska and held in place for ten days. In the above photo, you can see flooding in the trees to the left caused by the ice jam. When the ice finally broke on May 3rd, water rushed downstream causing flooding in Tuluksak, Alaska. Credit: National Weather Service.

In 2013, a thirty-mile ice jam on the Yukon River caused devastating flooding in the community of Galena, Alaska. The ice jam acted like a dam, causing water and ice to back up upstream and flood the community. Nearly all 472 residents were evacuated. 54 residential structures were severely damaged in the flood. Credit: National Weather Service.

How RiverWatch Works to Keep Communities Safe

RiverWatch is a partnership between the National Weather Service (NWS) Alaska Pacific River Forecast Center (APRFC) and the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). For over 30 years, RiverWatch teams have used community observations, pilot reports, and satellite imagery to monitor Alaska’s major rivers during spring breakup to warn communities of potential flooding. A typical breakup season for the RiverWatch team looks like this:

• Before breakup, issue a spring breakup outlook for the state using NWS data on ice thickness and strength, snowpack, and spring weather patterns.
• Actively monitor ice conditions throughout the state using community observations, pilot reports, and satellite imagery. Each year, RiverWatch receives reports from 10-20 pilots and engages with 60-80 community members to gather on-the-ground observations.
• Produce daily breakup maps and issue community flood warnings if necessary.
• During the first week of May, RiverWatch teams of NWS hydrologists and DHSEM staff leave on surveillance missions to fly over major rivers to confirm ice conditions and provide live updates. During surveillance, RiverWatch communicates with communities along the river via radio and phone multiple times a day to provide updates and gather observations. 

Flood Threat This Year

The breakup map provides a live update of the breakup status of major rivers throughout Alaska. The lines are the major rivers. The dots mark the location of communities. The key to the right shows the river status and current community flood status. This map is updated daily on the APRFC website.

During the week of May 2nd, 2021, RiverWatch teams completed flight missions over the Kuskokwim River in Southwest Alaska and the Upper Yukon River in Interior Alaska. So far, there have been no major flood impacts this season. Rivers in northern Alaska are still mostly ice and just beginning to break up. Rivers in southern Alaska are mostly open. Over the weekend, an ice jam cleared on the Kuskokwim River that was causing high waters and minor flooding in Aniak. No significant damage has been reported. On the Yukon River, there is currently an ice jam upriver from Circle, Alaska that is causing flooding of low-lying areas. There is a flood watch in place for Circle (yellow dot on the map above) due to possible flooding when the ice jam releases. The Riverwatch team will continue to provide aerial observation to the community until the ice flow passes. 

News Roundup 

Addressing Climate-Forced Displacement in the United States: A Just and Equitable Approach

Attention policymakers and federal funding program managers: consider these policy guidelines developed by the Legal Justice Coalition and Rising Voices Community Relocation & Site Expansion Working Group.

Lower Kuskokwim School District Uses its Own Money to Start Building Replacement School in Napakiak

The Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) is using $5.4 million of its own funds to build the foundation for a new school in Napakiak. The current school is threatened by the rapid erosion of the Kuskokwim River and sits only 97 feet from the shoreline. The state has not prioritized the Napakiak school because environmental threats are not factored into their funding priorities. LKSD hopes that by providing initial funding, the state will fund the completion of the project. 

Tuluksak Will Lose Their Only Source of Running Water During Breakup

On January 16, 2021, a fire destroyed Tuluksak’s only water plant and washeteria. More than a month after the fire, a temporary water filtration system was installed in the school to provide access to drinking water. During breakup, however, the community will lose water access again. The pipes that carry water from the Yuluksak River will be temporarily removed and reinstalled when the ice is gone. In the meantime, the community will rely on several water storage tanks and bottled water.

For Americans Uprooted By Climate Change, Mental Health is the Next Crisis

A new study found that climate and disaster-forced displacement may result in substantial trauma that negatively impacts mental health. In Alaska, mental health impacts from climate change and natural disasters could be more acute due to deep cultural and historic ties to the land.

About the Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities 

The goal of the Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities (CETC) is to support rural Alaskan communities experiencing infrastructure impacts associated with flooding, erosion, and permafrost degradation. The team does this primarily through grant writing, technical assistance, and project coordination.

ETC@anthc.org | (907) 729-4521 | www.anthc.org/cetc | 4500 Diplomacy Drive, Suite 561, Anchorage, AK 99508

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