{{Short description|River in Alaska, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} The '''Mendenhall River''' (Lingít: ''Woosh Ilʼóox̱ʼu Héen'') is an Alaskan river north of Juneau in the Mendenhall Valley. The river begins at the Mendenhall Lake, at the base of the Mendenhall Glacier. The river is about six miles (9 kilometers) long, one mile (1.6 km) of which is whitewater.{{fact|date=August 2025}} It is crossed by the Brotherhood Bridge around where the surrounding landscape transitions from rural to urban.
The river is named in honor of Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, the superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (1889–1894).{{fact|date=August 2025}}
==Flooding==
Minor flood stage 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.
Since 2011, periodic glacial floods have occurred from the Suicide Basin through the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska.<ref>[https://www.weather.gov/ajk/suicideBasin Suicide Basin Monitoring and Current Conditions]</ref> A major release in 2023 destroyed two buildings.<ref>[https://www.axios.com/2023/08/07/record-glacial-flooding-juneau-alaska-emergency-declaration Historic glacial flooding in Alaska triggers evacuations]</ref> Two dozen homes were flooded in 2023, and about 300 in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/08/14/nx-s1-5500395/juneau-hit-by-flooding-from-melting-glacier-for-third-year-in-a-row |title=Juneau hit by flooding from melting glacier for third year in a row |date=August 14, 2025 |publisher=NPR |author=Alix Soliman}}</ref>
Hesco barriers were installed for the 2025 flood season in some areas.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/13/alaskas-juneau-glacier-flood-record-climate |title=Barriers prevent severe flooding in Alaska capital after glacier outburst |author=Edward Helmore |date=August 13, 2025}}</ref><ref>[https://www.accuweather.com/en/climate/mendenhall-glacier-flooding/1805070 A glacier outburst sent a surge of water downstream into Juneau. Flood barriers protected the city from disaster]</ref> Despite this, the 2025 flood reached at least 50 homes, severely damaging at least 6 outside the protected area.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2025/08/19/record-glacial-flooding-in-juneau-damaged-nearly-50-homes/ |title=Record glacial flooding in Juneau damaged nearly 50 homes |author=Zaz Hollander |date=August 19, 2025}}</ref>
==Recreation== Rafting is most popular on the river from May through September.{{fact|date=August 2025}}
==See also== *List of Alaska rivers *Mendenhall Glacier *Mendenhall River Community School *Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge *Thomas Corwin Mendenhall
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050426000811/http://ak.water.usgs.gov/Publications/Abstracts/1999.Abstracts/mendenhall_abs.htm Hydrology, Geomorphology, and Flood Profiles] -- ''(full report is a PDF file)'' *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110524133834/http://juneauempire.com/stories/090401/Loc_rafting.shtml ''Facing the "Iatolla Hola"'']—September 4, 2001 article in the on-line version of the ''Juneau Empire'' *[https://web.archive.org/web/20000818210424/http://www.e-raft.com/Regions/Alaska/Mendenhall.asp Mendenhall River on E-RAFT.com] *[http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Rafting%20Mendenhall%20River.htm Rafting picture] *[http://www.juneau.org/emergency/Floods.php Juneau areas at risk of floods] *[https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=species.main Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge]
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Category:Rivers of Alaska Category:Rivers of Juneau, Alaska