Authorities have issued an alert as Suicide Basin — now theatrically dubbed Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin — is actively overtopping, or spilling over its brim. City warnings urge residents in potential inundation zones in the Mendenhall Valley to complete last-minute preparations, confirm evacuation routes, and prepare a go-bag.
The latest warning arrives against a backdrop of ever more frequent glacial dam outbursts originating from the basin along the retreating Mendenhall Glacier that now traps meltwater in a deep rock pool. The National Weather Service/NOAA estimates that the next outburst could occur within 1 to 6 days from the start of overtopping, which means it is now imminent. Current height of the basin is 1364 feet; water levels rose 23 feet in the last seven days. NOAA images at this link.
The basin’s first recorded release occurred in 2011. It is now a grim summer tradition, with repeat outbursts each year.
- 2023 brought a devastating flood, cresting the Mendenhall River at 14.82 feet, triggering evacuations and destroying structures.
- 2024 was record-setting, starting on Aug. 6. The river crested at 15.99 feet, causing damage and destruction to over 300 homes and inflicting widespread hardship to those in the Mendenhall Valley.
Today, the basin is among the most closely monitored glacial lakes on Earth. Between USGS satellite-linked cameras, laser sensors, flood dashboards, and partnerships with the US Army Corps of Engineers, City and Borough of Juneau, and National Weather Service, authorities track every inch.
This year, the city installed 2.5 miles of HESCO flood barriers — roughly 10,000 barriers, four feet tall — to shield over 460 properties from a flood echoing the recent record-breaking years.
The hyper-woke sensibility continues in Juneau as the city has now named the basin Kʼóox Ḵaadí — a Tlingit term presumably meaning something like “water-thing basin.” Glaciers covered the Mendenhall Valley during the era when Tlingits were the only humans in the region. Suicide Basin is a very recent phenomenon, only a feature for the past 15 years.
Nothing says “we’re taking this seriously” like retroactively bestowing an indigenous name on a geological feature that wasn’t a factor until 15 years ago.
Also notable, the City and Borough of Juneau has signaled it is now sharing governance responsibilities with Tlingit & Haida Central Council, as noted in this announcement. Tlingit & Haida’s president Richard Peterson has been put on leave while the organization investigates multiple claims against him by women in the organization. The organization is said to be in disarray, which begs the question: Is it capable of fulfilling these co-governing duties during a natural disaster when it is trying to navigate its own organizational disaster? Or is this co-governance merely a charade by both the City and Borough of Juneau and Tlingit & Haida?
Indian gods creating magic. Koox’ Kaadi Basin is going to create a huge climate change production so that the name alone justifies immediate climate action by the government. Suicide Basin is already aptly named. Anything more is as Suzanne describes……political theater.
Ice melts. Ice refreezes. Much of it is man-made. Check your freezer.
How many glaciers freeze and melt in your freezer?
Good thing a disaster declaration was made before anything happened.
Ps. Everyone should move out. Living in a glacial floodplain is more irresponsible than the Florida Keys during hurricane season
It wasn’t a glacial floodplain when those homes were built.
Using your logic, you should leave Alaska. Living in a place with earthquakes, active volcanoes, fatally cold winters and man killing animals is more irresponsible than living in Juneau.
If you dont think the mendenhall valley has ever flooded from glacial outbursts for the last 10,000 years, youre a kook.
I mean look at the topography. The debris in the gasteneau channel.
I mean…. come on
My Tlingit friend told me Koox Kaadi means Big Toilet Bowl in his language. Makes sense to me.
More Appropriate name for Anchorage then
In Hawaiian, they call it “Kailua.” Same thing, toilet bowl. If you live near a toilet, expect to get flushed from time to time.
What an astounding photograph.
It’s fascinating that there’s a similarity between Tlingit and Mayan words referring to something underwater.
Hmm. Perhaps if we gave a native name to the proposed flood control dam on Mendenhall Lake, it’s construction might be accelerated?
Am I the only one who is utterly sick to death of all this hyper-woke political pandering to the small minority of Natives, not just here in Alaska but throughout North America? I do feel for them and the injustices that they suffered from the European invaders, and always have, but to pretend that they are “sovereign” within Alaska and the USA, and anything else that effective permanent welfare recipients and wards of the federal government, is a sad and sick joke.
Am I the only one who is utterly sick to death of all this hyper-woke political pandering to the small minority of Natives, not just here in Alaska but throughout North America? I do feel for them and the injustices that they suffered from the European invaders, and always have, but to pretend that they are “sovereign” within Alaska and the USA, and anything else than effectively permanent welfare recipients and wards of the federal government, is a sad and sick joke.
This natural disaster event is beginning to sound like a broken record!
But but but it was a 100 year event 10 years ago. And 4 years ago. And….. wait. Um….
So, I live in Juneau (apparently under a rock) – but would someone remind me again when we all elected Tlingit and Haida to mange/partner with city government to manage this disaster? As a second generation Alaskan, can I be reassured that this partnership will allow equal (not equitable – one is subjective, one is objective) levels of assistance across affected populations from this organization.
Also – given that it was pilots and scientists that found this thing 11 years ago, shouldn’t they be given first cut at naming it?
You’ve seen our Assembly in action.
Don’t be surprised if they b find a way to tax this.
T&H did a remarkable job helping last year and treated tribal and non-tribal folks equally. While I too am tired of the re-naming and special dispensations, I have to say that their public safety efforts are very well organized and they deserve a big thanks for their efforts.
It has a Tlingit name now, so that makes it all better?