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The Daily Alaska Empire
Juneau, Juneau County, Alaska
What is this article about?
A Forest Service road near Mendenhall Glacier has melted away due to receding ice, forming a lake on the Nugget Creek side. Built two years ago for tourist access, it began deteriorating last year. Assistant forester Charles Burdick notes ongoing studies predict further recession in five years, enabling potential bridging of the creek.
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There's a blue lake now where a Forest Service road used to be.
It is on the Nugget Creek side of Mendenhall Glacier.
Two years ago, Charles Burdick, assistant regional forester said the service built a road to the face of the glacier. It branched off the main road just below the power house and followed the moraine about a mile.
A log barrier was erected at the end of the road where tourists and visitors could get a "close up" of the immense chunk of ice.
Last year ice under the graveled road began to melt and large holes appeared. The Forest Service moved its log barriers back several hundred feet to prevent cars from travel over the road. but visitors could still walk beyond the barrier.
Today, however, Burdick said the road has finally "melted" away and the lake has moved in.
The late Charles Forward, of the Forest Service, established a network of triangulations to check recession of the glacier. These studies are still being carried on.
Burdick said by this method it is determined that probably in five years the glacier will have receded far enough beyond Nugget Creek to expose more land and make bridging of Nugget Creek feasible. The creek at present flows along the foot of the glacier.
He explained that there are two ice sheets involved at Mendenhall. One is in the ground itself and the other is the glacier which moves over the stationary ground ice.
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Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Mendenhall Glacier, Nugget Creek Side
Key Persons
Outcome
the road has melted away and a lake has formed in its place. studies indicate the glacier will likely recede far enough in five years to expose more land and make bridging of nugget creek feasible.
Event Details
A Forest Service road built two years ago to the face of Mendenhall Glacier has melted due to ice under the graveled road, forming a blue lake. Last year, large holes appeared, and barriers were moved back. The late Charles Forward established triangulations to monitor glacier recession, which continue. There are two ice sheets: one in the ground and the moving glacier over it.