Full Notification

PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT
VALDEZ GLACIER STREAM – HIGH WATER NOTICE
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURE DURING RIPRAP PLACEMENT
 
For immediate release:  06/19/2018 11:30 a.m.
 
Valdez Glacier Stream is currently experiencing high water levels due to the biannual release of water from the ice dammed lake above Valdez Glacier.
 
City of Valdez and Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities personnel are on scene monitoring water levels, stream channels, and the status of the Richardson Highway bridge over the stream.
 
From approximately noon until 5:00 p.m. today, state of Alaska DOT&PF maintenance personnel will be placing riprap on the bridge abutments to combat potential erosion from high water. One lane of the Richardson Highway in the vicinity of the bridge will be closed during riprap placement. Flaggers will be onsite to direct traffic. Please expect 20 minute delays crossing the bridge in either direction.
 
The ice dammed lake, formed by run-off water pooling behind glacial formations, is located in the mountains above Valdez Glacier. When enough water pools behind the ice dam, the pressure causes the ice to rise, allowing the lake to drain down the mountain into the Valdez Glacier Lake and Valdez Glacier Stream. This is called an “outburst event” and may cause flooding and an increase of ice in the lake and stream.
 
Citizens recreating in or around Valdez Glacier Lake and Valdez Glacier Stream should be aware that water levels are higher than normal following the biannual “outburst event”. The City of Valdez encourages campers, kayakers, and boaters to use extra precautions while recreating in the area and avoid walking or driving through flood waters.  
 
For additional information, please contact the City’s Public Information Office at 907-834-3468 or [email protected].  
 
Posted June 19, 2018
Allie Ferko, Public Information Officer
City of Valdez, Alaska