Mendenhall River
Encyclopedia
The Mendenhall River is an Alaska
n river
north of Juneau
in the Mendenhall Valley
. The river begins at the Mendenhall Lake
, at the base of the Mendenhall Glacier
.
. The most favorable months in which to raft
on the river is May through September. The most active points along the whitewater section are Scott's Iatola (or Iatolla) Hola, Tourist Trap, and Pinball Alley. The whitewater ends near the Juneau International Airport
.
for the Mendenhall River is 12 feet (3.7 m), and a level of 14 feet (4.3 m) is more likely to cause extensive problems. If the Mendenhall is at minor flood stage, however, it is likely that areas such as Montana Creek, Jordan Creek, and the Mendenhall Lake are also experiencing flooding at that time.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
north of Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
in the Mendenhall Valley
Mendenhall Valley
Mendenhall Valley is an area of Juneau in the U.S. state of Alaska. The valley, named for physicist and meteorologist Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, was formed by Mendenhall Glacier over the course of roughly three thousand years...
. The river begins at the Mendenhall Lake
Mendenhall Lake
Mendenhall Lake is a lake in the Mendenhall Valley at the 1962 terminus of Mendenhall Glacier, North of the Juneau City and Borough Airport in the Coast Mountains...
, at the base of the Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier is a glacier about long located in Mendenhall Valley, about from downtown Juneau in the southeast area of the U.S. state of Alaska....
.
Rafting on the river
The Mendenhall is about six miles (9 kilometers) long, one mile (1.6 km) of which is whitewaterWhitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
. The most favorable months in which to raft
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
on the river is May through September. The most active points along the whitewater section are Scott's Iatola (or Iatolla) Hola, Tourist Trap, and Pinball Alley. The whitewater ends near the Juneau International Airport
Juneau International Airport
Juneau International Airport is a public-use airport and seaplane base located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Juneau, a city and borough in the U.S. state of Alaska...
.
Flooding
Minor flood stageFlood stage
Flood stage is the level at which the surface of a river, creek, or other body of water has risen to a sufficient level to cause damage or affects use of man-made structures...
for the Mendenhall River is 12 feet (3.7 m), and a level of 14 feet (4.3 m) is more likely to cause extensive problems. If the Mendenhall is at minor flood stage, however, it is likely that areas such as Montana Creek, Jordan Creek, and the Mendenhall Lake are also experiencing flooding at that time.
Interesting facts
- On October 20, 1998, the river reached its greatest-recorded water flow of 12,400 cubic feet per second (350 m³/s).
- Named in honor of Thomas Corwin MendenhallThomas Corwin MendenhallThomas Corwin Mendenhall was an autodidact US physicist and meteorologist.-Biography:Mendenhall was born in Hanoverton, Ohio to Stephen Mendenhall, a farmer and carriage-maker,...
, the superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (1889–1894).
See also
- List of Alaska rivers
- Mendenhall GlacierMendenhall GlacierMendenhall Glacier is a glacier about long located in Mendenhall Valley, about from downtown Juneau in the southeast area of the U.S. state of Alaska....
- Mendenhall River Community School
- Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge
- Thomas Corwin MendenhallThomas Corwin MendenhallThomas Corwin Mendenhall was an autodidact US physicist and meteorologist.-Biography:Mendenhall was born in Hanoverton, Ohio to Stephen Mendenhall, a farmer and carriage-maker,...
External links
- Hydrology, Geomorphology, and Flood Profiles -- (full report is a PDF file)
- Facing the "Iatolla Hola" -- September 4, 2001 article in the on-line version of the Juneau EmpireJuneau EmpireThe Juneau Empire is a newspaper in Juneau, Alaska, United States. Mark Bryan was appointed publisher in 2009.-External links:* *...
- Mendenhall River on E-RAFT.com
- Rafting picture
- Juneau areas at risk of floods
- Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge