4-10 SUNRISE AT NAPAIMUTE: WATER FROM OPEN LEAD FLOODING ON TOP OF THE ICE
April 9 ice measurements:
Aniak – 42” middle of main channel just above town. 2” slushy fresh snow cover, first 12” are layers of frozen overflow from the various warm spells over the winter.
Napaimute – 35” mid channel. 2” slushy fresh snow cover. A long swift lead has opened up in the north channel just above Napaimute. You could watch it eating its way down stream. Just before sundown all of the fresh snow melting and running off must have caught up to the River. The water in the open lead began rising up over and flooding the top of the ice. We watched it growing throughout the night and had to warn some late night travelers away from the deepening water. See pictures.
Today a BSAR team went down and drilled the ice at the lower end of the November jam 11 miles below Lower Kalskag. We drilled at the narrowest point in the River below Coffee’s. This is where the November jam first began forming.
The ice in this spot was 58” thick. We couldn’t get through with an extension on the auger and ice picked the rest of the way. There is a layer of very dirty water about halfway through the ice in this area. Also the ice is full of sand, rocks, and sticks.
We’ve been wondering what’s going to happen if the interior temps keep warming up while it looks like the lower River weather is going to stay cool. There was a big difference in the weather today between Napaimute (warm & sunny) and Kalskag (cool & cloudy).
This area may be a place to watch closely this spring
Maybe good thing there’s not much snow.
Additional reports will be provided as the 2015 Kuskokwim Spring Break Up progresses.
Thank you.
4-9 OPEN LEAD AT NAPAIMUTE EATING ITS WAY DOWNSTREAM – THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE FLOODING SHOWN IN THE FIRST PICTURE
