Bear Glacier, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsual due to retreat developed an ice dammed proglacial that periodically drains. An August drainage in 2014 and 2018 were noted by Kurtz and Wolken (2019). Recent increases in kayaking and standup paddle boarding has led to this lakes drainage posing a recreational hazard. In 2024 the lake drained between 8/14 and 9/7. It then had filled by July and remained filled into October. On October 10th the lake had an area of 0.85 km2. On October 17th, the lake had drained to an area less than 0.18 km2. Their are a series of rifts extending across the glacier that represents flexure of the ice due to water level/flotation changes of this ice tongue. The ice is lifted when the lake is full and then is let down during drainage.
On June 4, 2026 the lake has begun to refill with an area of 0.55 km2 It is evident that this lake that had emptied periodically now empties annually. The date of drainage has been later in the melt season in 2024 and 2025. The continued retreat of the glacier that averaged 160 m/year from 2005-2019 (NPS, 2019), will lead to continued changes in drainage of this lake. The thinner ice is more easily lifted via flotation allowing for drainage with a more limited lake volume. The rapid lake development is a frequent pattern in the region we have observed at Excelsior Glacier Pederson Glacier and Ellsworth Glacier.
Bear Glacier dammed lake filling in June of 2025 and 2026 with an area of 0.5-0.6 km2.
From a Glaciers Perspective 