Breakup is well on its way, but the Kuskokwim River is still patchy with ice in some areas. That’s according to the latest river watch update on April 29.
Earl Samuelson flew his plane upriver this past weekend. He says that it’s mostly open water until Tuluksak.
The river is open both upstream and downstream from Upper and Lower Kalskag, but still frozen in between the two villages. That ice should break up in the next couple of days. Farther north, Aniak is still seeing a frozen river. Tamara Sakar of Aniak described the ice conditions there:
"In Aniak, the ice is just pushing on top of the main river," Sakar said.
The river is mostly wide open above Aniak, all the way to Sleetmute. Here’s what Tim Zaukar of Crooked Creek saw on Monday morning:
"It just started shifting around late last night, and got up this morning and there was no more ice," Zaukar said.
There are reports of open water in McGrath, but no one from the National Weather Service has confirmed that yet. The National Weather Service plans to fly up the Kuskokwim River on Monday, April 29. Boaters should remain cautious when traveling the river because of submerged ice.