Slims River facts for kids
The Slims River (also known as A'ay Chu) was a river in the Yukon, a territory in Canada. Until 2016, it was fed by melting ice from the Kaskawulsh Glacier. The river flowed for about 15 miles (24 kilometers) into the southern end of Kluane Lake.
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What Happened to the Slims River?
In the spring of 2016, something amazing happened over just a few days. The water from the Kaskawulsh Glacier used to flow in two different directions. But then, all the meltwater started flowing into the Kaskawulsh river, which goes south towards the Gulf of Alaska. This change made the Slims River much, much smaller.
Why Did the River Change Course?
Scientists believe that this big change in the river's flow might be connected to climate change caused by humans. This was the first time that human-caused climate change was thought to be responsible for a river completely changing its path. This event is called "river capture" or "river reorganization."
The Name of the Slims River
The Slims River got its name from a pack horse. This horse supposedly drowned while trying to cross the river during the Kluane gold rush in 1903. The Alaska Highway crosses the former Slims River at Mile 1065 (Kilometre 1704), just south of where it used to meet Kluane Lake.
Images for kids
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The former mouth of the Slims River, at Kluane Lake
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Slims River in 1992
