Government of Yukon issues flood watch after Porcupine River rose a metre overnight

The Yukon government has issued a flood watch advisory after the Porcupine River rose more than a metre overnight.

The advisory says the river’s rapid rise indicates the buildup of an ice jam downstream, and says several ice jams have formed, including a 20 kilometre jam about 30 kilometres upstream of the community of Old Crow.

The advisory says the river’s rise will continue “rapidly” until the downstream jam stabilizes, but warns of more river level increases when the other ice jams release.

The weather forecast calls for a chance of showers, and the Yukon flood atlas website says people should stay clear of potentially unstable river banks during fast and high-flowing periods.

The Porcupine is a tributary of the Yukon River that stretches into Alaska.

The Yukon Government has also issued advisories about high river levels on the Nordenskiold and Klondike Rivers due to ice jams and snow melt.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2023.