| Kluane Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Kluane Lake  Kluane Lake | |
| Location | Yukon |
| Coordinates | 61°14′N138°40′W / 61.233°N 138.667°W /61.233; -138.667 |
| Primary inflows | Formerly theSlims River |
| Primary outflows | Kluane River |
| Catchment area | Bering Sea Watershed |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 81 km (50 mi)[1]: 1 |
| Surface area | c. 408 km2 (158 sq mi)[1]: 1 |
| Average depth | 31 m (102 ft) |
| Max. depth | 91 m (299 ft)[1]: 1 |
| Surface elevation | 781 m (2,562 ft)[1]: 1 |
| Settlements | Burwash Landing,Destruction Bay |
Kluane Lake is located in the southwest area of theYukon. It is the largestlake contained entirely within Yukon at approximately 408 km2 (158 sq mi),[1]: 1 and 81 km (50 mi) long.[1]: 1
Kluane Lake is located approximately 60 km (37 mi)[1]: 1 northwest ofHaines Junction.[1]: 1 TheAlaska Highway follows most of the south side of Kluane Lake and offers lake views. The lake has a mean depth of 31 m (102 ft) and a maximum depth of 91 m (299 ft)[1]: 1
Until 2016,[2][3] Kluane Lake was fed by theA'ay Chu (Slims River),[1] which was composed of meltwater from theKaskawulsh Glacier, located withinKluane National Park. Kluane Lake drains into theKluane River, whose waters flow into theDonjek River,White River,Yukon River, and eventually theBering Sea. The lake has a high density of large-bodiedlake trout andwhitefish[1]: 1 and is known for its fishing.
In a startling case ofclimate change, over 4 days in May 2016, the Slims River suddenly disappeared, leaving windswept mud flats where the Alaska Highway crosses the diminished inlet. Voluminous glacial meltwaters were suddenly diverted from one side of North America to another — from the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Alaska. With its main water supply cut off, Kluane Lake will likely become an isolated basin within a few years, shrinking below its outlet (the Kluane River). Lack of inflow is rapidly changing the water chemistry and fish populations of Kluane Lake. Clouds of dust now frequently fill the formerly clear air.
For the last 300 years until 2016, abundant meltwater from theKaskawulsh Glacier has been channeled by ice dams to drain via the 150-meter wide Slims River northwards into Kluane Lake. Between 1956 and 2007, the Kaskawulsh glacier retreated by 655 meters, which most scientists attribute to human-caused climate change.[4] Meltwater flooding from accelerating retreat in 2016 carved a new channel through a large ice field, diverting most flows into the Kaskawulsh River, a tributary of the Alsek, which flows into theGulf of Alaska.
The Yukon communities ofBurwash Landing andDestruction Bay are located on the southern shore of the lake.[1]: 1
The Aishihik and Kluane caribou herds migrate in the area surrounding Kluane andAishihik Lakes. They are a northern mountain caribou, a distinct ecotype of thewoodland caribou. In 2009, there were 181 caribou in the Kluane herd (also known as the Burwash herd) and 2044 caribou in the Aishihik herd. The Kluane herd was declining while the Aishihik herd was increasing.[5]
