Colony Glacier is feeding the lake with a constant flow of glacier ice and melt water. The Lake itself is flowing freely into the Knik River and the Cook Inlet in Alaska.
Lake George
61°15′00″N 148°37′00″W, a glacial lake formed near the face of the glacier, received national recognition by the
National Natural Landmark (NNL) Program. Lake George was recognized because of a unique natural phenomenon called a "
jökulhlaup", an
Icelandic term for
glacial lake outburst flood. The breakup of this ice dam would send a violent wall of water, ice and debris down the river valley causing massive flooding and sometimes devastation to local settlers' properties. The jökulhlaup occurred annually until it ceased in 1967 due to glacial recession, thought to be associated with the massive
Good Friday earthquake of 1964.
