In 2016, this channel allowed the glacier’s meltwater to drain in a different direction than normal, resulting in the Slims River water being rerouted to a different river system. “The Kluane lake level dropped last year and is likely to continue dropping,” Shugar said. Previously, these waters had ultimately fed into the vast Yukon river, which empties on Alaska’s west coast. In 2016, this channel allowed the glacier’s meltwater to drain in a different direction than normal, resulting in the Slims River water being rerouted to a different river system. The lake that it fed — Kluane Lake — is 45 miles long and more than 250 feet deep in places.

Source: Washington Post April 17, 2017 15:08 UTC