Flood watch in Ross River, Yukon, rescinded

A flood watch issued for the community of Ross River, Yukon, earlier this weekwas rescinded Thursday morning.

Kevin Lyslo, an emergency services planner with the territory's Emergency Measures Organization, said the ice jam in the Pelly River that prompted aflood watch finallybroke on Wednesday night.

"That would relieve the pressure on the Pelly [River] at Ross River," he said. "They should not be experiencing any further ice flood events in the immediate future as the ice continues to clear out of the Pelly."

On Thursday morning, the water level of the Pelly River had gone down approximately 1.8 metres below its peak during the previous two days.

The territorial government said small ice runs are expected to continue moving down the Pelly River over the coming days, causing small rises in water levels.

The situation is different in Old Crow, Yukon, where the ice in the Porcupine River hasn't broken yet.

Lyslo said thatcommunity "could experience flooding."

Snowmeltconcerns

The rescinded flood watch in Ross River doesn't mean all flood concerns are alleviated for the community for later this spring or summer.

Lyslo explained that Ross River is in the same situation as other communities in the territory that are in river basins with record snowpacks.

The speed at which the snow melts, and the amount of rain the Yukon receives, will determine if there'll be flooding in communities.

He said peak snowmelt should occur in mid-to-lateJune, depending on the weather.