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Flood warning issued for Upper Liard, watch in place for Klondike Valley

Rainy forecast could lead to rising water levels in parts of Yukon
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Superbag berms put in place in Lower Post to deal with the Liard River flood situation. (Jesse Johnston and Tyler Porter/Submitted)

Water levels in parts of the territory are being monitored for increased risk of flooding, with two new advisories issued.

On June 9, the Yukon’s Emergency Measures Organization put out a flood warning for the Liard River at Upper Liard, as well as a flood watch for the Klondike River in the Klondike Valley.

On its website, the Yukon government said it is “closely monitoring” the Liard River situation and working with Liard First Nation to ensure an “effective response.”

The website indicates sandbags, superbags and poly-rolls, along with a sandbagging machine, have been pre-positioned in the region.

The advisory warns the Liard River is anticipated to stay stable or go down before going up again in response to rain in the forecast over the next few days.

As of June 9, the peak is expected to occur on June 11 or 12. It has the potential to be as high as 1.1 metres above the current level of the Liard River, which the advisory notes is similar to the 2012 flood.

As for the Dawson region, another advisory notes the level of the Klondike River above Bonanza Creek remains elevated, although it has been declining after a 30-centimetre rise over the past few days.

With unsettled weather in the forecast, the river may begin rising again in response to widespread precipitation over the weekend, according to the advisory.

It indicates that, while the extent of the rise is difficult to predict, there is potential that the Klondike River could reach flood thresholds, particularly in the Rock Creek neighbourhood, by Saturday.

Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com



Dana Hatherly

About the Author: Dana Hatherly

I’m the legislative reporter for the Yukon News.
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