Author(s): Joe Groeneveld; Soheil Zare
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: River Ice; River Ice Breakup and Jamming
Abstract: Originating in the Alberta Rockies, the Athabasca River flows approximately 1200 km through the boreal forests and grasslands of the central Canadian Shield. Exposed to cold and long winters, the Athabasca River experiences a very severe ice cover regime - one which is often accompanied by dynamic ice jam formation events. Numerous communities are located along the Athabasca River, and all have played a pivotal role in the nation's economy; from the historical trading posts of the Hudson Bay Company to the modern-day communities supporting mega energy projects. The Town of Fort McMurray, an important center along this reach, is located at the confluence of the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers. The area has been subjected to flooding due to ice jam development for as long as records have been kept at the community – from 1870 to present. In an effort to better understand these events, and support emergency response plans being developed by the Province, work was undertaken on the development of a deterministic modeling approach to simulate the river hydraulics, and ice processes in the reach. A HEC-RAS model was developed and calibrated by the authors to predict ice jam-induced flooding at the study site. The model was developed and calibrated prior to the most recent ice jam event (2020) but it was re-mobilized after the event to estimate the potential behavior of the river, and the model’s ability to replicate the severe conditions that were experienced in 2020. This paper describes the model set up, assesses its performance, and evaluates its validity against the observed and recorded water/ice levels and inundation extents during the 2020 ice jam event.
Year: 2022