Despite a glacial outburst flood, or jökulhlaup, that inundated Mendenhall Lake with record-setting flood waters, cleanup is already underway and operations are getting back to normal in U.S. Forest Service facilities around the lake, according to a Forest Service press release.
Mendenhall Lake crested at 11.99 feet Friday — breaking the 11.85-feet record in 2014 — but after a rapid overnight recession, the National Weather Service lifted the flood warning for the surrounding area.
“The Nugget Falls trail will remain closed (Saturday) as it is still flooded, but our Photo Point trail has reopened and all other trails are open,” said Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Director John Neary.
The Forest Service reopened the Mendenhall Lake campground at noon on Saturday. Skaters Cabin Road reopened Saturday morning as well, and people can access the beach boat-launching area and West Glacier Trail again, according to Marc Ramonda, the developed recreation manager.
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Lead Naturalist Laurie Craig helped close the Photo Point trail Friday night near the visitor center as the water submerged a bridge.
“This degree of flooding that closed the bridge has only happened once, in 2014, but the water came even higher last night according to the National Weather Service who monitors these floods,” said Craig.
For information on the outburst flood conditions visit the Juneau National Weather Service website at http://pajk.arh.noaa.gov/.
