TULSEQUAH

 

Event description

 

The Tulsequah Glacier, located on the eastern rim of the Juneau Icefield near the Devil's Paw, impounds two lakes which have a long history of swift releases into the Tulsequah and Taku Rivers. Tulsequah Lake formed in the late 19th or early 20th century when a tributary glacier separated from the trunk of the Tulsequah Glacier. By the 1920s, Tulsequah Lake grew substantially due to the further recession of the tributary glacier(s), and some of the largest recorded outburst floods occurred during this period. A flood from Tulsequah Lake in 1958 released 229 Mio m³ of water with a peak discharge of 1`556 m³/s.

 

Damage

        

The magnitude of these outburst floods is typically not sufficient to cause significant damage to property along the Tulsequah or Taku River. Deposits of debris and sediments result in changes to the river channels during and after the flood which can make both rivers dangerous to navigate.

 

Data source

 

- Clague, J. J., Mathews, W. H. (1973): The Magnitude of J�kulhaups. Journal of Glaciology, 12 (66), 501 - 504.

 - http://pajk.arh.noaa.gov/info/articles/jokulhlaups/jokul.htm

 

Remarks

 

Between 1942 and 1971every year a j�kulhlaup took place.