Home / Environment / Dawson City Flood Risk: River Wants Space to Roam
Dawson City Flood Risk: River Wants Space to Roam
6 Mar
Summary
- Development in Dawson City faces flood risk due to past mining activity.
- Expert advises creating natural channels for the Klondike River.
- Future snowmelt flows are expected to exceed 1,000 cubic meters per second.
Development on parcels of land near Dawson City requires careful planning due to historical flooding, according to a senior researcher at Yukon University. Benoit Turcotte, a hydrology and climate change expert, noted that past mining activities on the Klondike River have altered its natural flood plain, creating rock piles and ponds instead of a typical riverine environment.
Turcotte emphasized that while building may be feasible with correct elevation and proximity to the river, future development must consider the river's behavior. He predicted that snowmelt flows in the Klondike Valley could exceed 1,000 cubic meters per second, with ice jams remaining a concern. The researcher suggested that creating space for the river to meander and dissipate energy, perhaps by removing mining remnants and introducing vegetation, would be a more sustainable approach.
The Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation and the Yukon Government are in the early stages of a joint master planning process for the affected land. Minister of Community Development Cory Bellmore stated that various assessments are underway to determine suitable development areas and potential mitigation strategies for flooding. The goal is to identify developable land while understanding areas to potentially avoid.
