Spring ice jam may have caused Dawson City ferry to beach, says scientist

An ice jam in the Klondike River this spring may have caused the sandbar that the Dawson City, Yukon, ferry was beached on.

Yukon government senior scientist in hydrologyBenoit Turcotte said May's ice jam released suddenly, pushing sediment into the Yukon River thatsettled around Dawson City.

Turcotte also said the water levelsin the area are close to historiclows.

"That probably explains the photo that we saw on social media and potentially the gravel bar that was touched by the ferry there at Dawson City," he said.

A photo had circulated on social media showing what appeared to be a huge sandbar and low river levels inDawson City.

The George BlackFerry had been stuck on a sandbar for nearly eight hours on Oct. 3 before a barge came and hauled it free.

Tributaries from the Pelly River, Stewart River, Klondike River, and the White River are flowing atlow levels, causing the total flow in the Yukon River to also below.

Turcotte said the dry September combined with thelower than average flows have contributedto the low water levels around Dawson City.

Turcotte said it's unclear what this means for freeze-up of the Yukon River.