Celerity of Ice Breakup Front in the Regulated Peace River, Canada, and Implications for the Recharge of the Peace–Athabasca Delta

Abstract

Timely release of flow from upstream hydropower generation facilities on the Peace River can enhance potential ice-jam flooding near the drying Peace–Athabasca Delta (PAD), a Ramsar wetland of international importance and homeland to Indigenous Peoples. An important consideration in deciding whether and when to commence a release is the celerity of the breakup front as it advances along the Peace River. Relevant historical data for a key stretch of the river are analyzed to determine average celerities, which can vary by an order of magnitude from year to year. Seven breakup events are identified that might have been candidates for a release, and the predictability of associated celerities is explored in terms of antecedent hydroclimatic variables, including cumulative winter snowfall, snow water equivalent on 1 April, ice cover thickness, coldness of the winter, and freezeup level. It is shown that celerity can be predicted to within a factor of two or less, with the freezeup level giving the best results. Three of the seven “promising” events culminated in PAD floods and were associated with the three highest celerities. The empirical findings are shown to generally align with physical understanding of breakup driving and resisting factors.