A University of British Columbia study has confirmed that Canada's last remaining Arctic epishelf lake is gone for good, Education News Canada reports. The finding, published by the university, closes the book on a rare type of freshwater body that once existed in the Canadian Arctic.
The confirmation was reported on Friday, September 11, 2026, by Education News Canada, which cited the university's research. According to that report, the loss is described as permanent rather than seasonal or temporary.
Epishelf lakes form when fresh water is held behind a floating ice shelf, sitting on top of denser seawater. That structure depends on the ice shelf remaining in place, which makes these lakes unusual and vulnerable. Few such lakes exist anywhere in the world, and Canada's Arctic held one of the last known examples.
