Unprecedented Spring Breakup on the Sagavanirktok River – Alaska North Slope

Abstract:

The Alaska’s economy is strongly tied to oil production, with most of the petroleum coming from the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Deadhorse, the furthest north oil town on the Alaska North Slope, provides support to the oil industry. The Dalton Highway is the only road that connects Deadhorse with other cities in interior Alaska. The road is vastly used to move supplies to and from the oil fields.

Early this year, the Dalton near Deadhorse was affected by ice and winter flooding from the Sagavanirktok (Sag) River. As a consequence of this, the road was closed for nearly a week. In mid May, the Dalton was flooded by the Sag River in several reaches from approximately mile post (MP) 394 to Deadhorse (MP 414). The magnitude of this event, the first recorded since the road was built in 1976, was such that the road was closed for nearly three weeks. During that time, a water station was installed to track water level changes on the river, discharge measurements were performed and water samples were collected to estimate suspended sediment concentration. A summary of this information will be presented in the meeting.