River Breakup Community Updates
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River breakup is now complete. There is no longer a significant risk of ice jams causing flooding along the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas. The Evacuation Alert for Draper has been lifted and the Ice Jam Watch has ended for the Clearwater River.
River breakup is still in progress on the Clearwater River. Water levels fell overnight and today on the Clearwater River but remain high due to a small ice jam at the mouth of the Clearwater River and from snowmelt.
The front of the ice jam near Fort McMurray has now melted past the meeting point of the Clearwater and Athabasca Rivers and continues to melt with warmer temperatures. It has shrunk by an additional 3 km since yesterday and is now approximately 12.5 km long.
The ice run from the Town of Athabasca released earlier today and is expected to meet the existing downstream ice jam near Fort McMurray by tomorrow evening.
Ice jam has started to shift. Warm weather has assisted in melting of the ice jam.
The ice jam near Fort McMurray started shifting earlier this morning. It is expected that the ice jam will continue to melt in place or start moving downstream. Municipal and provincial officials continue to monitor river water levels and conditions. River water levels on the Clearwater River rose slightly overnight due to snowmelt. River water levels on the Athabasca River have continued to decrease.
It’s critical to stay away from riverbanks while river breakup continues. The river is unpredictable and sudden changes in water levels can make riverbanks very dangerous.
An ice run from the Town of Athabasca has moved closer but has not reached the existing ice jam near Fort McMurray. This ice run continues to be monitored, and it is still expected to reach Fort McMurray over the coming days.
An ice run from the Town of Athabasca is expected to move toward Fort McMurray today. As it has traveled downstream, it has not produced significant surges. It is anticipated to meet the existing downstream ice jam near Fort McMurray this afternoon and may result in a small, temporary rise in water levels. In the event the ice run causes the ice jam to release, water level fluctuations may be more rapid.
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